


Strifeless

by addictioncrx



Category: ONE OK ROCK
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, BL, Business, M/M, Strong Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-03-20 05:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 39,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3638109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addictioncrx/pseuds/addictioncrx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wanting to escape the college life in the US, Taka decides to return home to Japan... secretly. But even back at home he has problems of his own. To make up for humiliating a successful businessman, he was blackmailed into being his personal assistant. Little did he know, he'd been dragged into a fallout of strife and endless confusion. And what could be worse than having to fix the company's financial crisis? ...Oh, right, he was starting to fall in love with his boss...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Blackmail

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello! This is my second work and contribution to this fandom! I'm sorry the plot sounds like such an unoriginal idea, but I'll continue my best to keep it as unique and interesting as I can!  
> Thank you everyone for your support for Lockheart! I planned this story in the midst of writing Lockheart, and I've been anticipating this moment... I hope everyone was also looking forward to this, and I hope it won't disappoint! While this story focuses on the relationship between Toru and Taka, at the same time it also focuses on a financial crisis... so please bear with me. ; ;
> 
> Also, Taka's family name will be "Moriuchi" instead of "Morita"!
> 
> Without further ado, here is the first chapter of Strifeless! Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you'll enjoy the chapter!

_"Attention, please. Nihon Koukuu Flight 069, set to depart at 1655 hours, has been delayed. Please approach our staff regarding any enquiries. We apologise for the inconvenience caused. Attention, please. Nihon Koukuu Flight 069, set to depart at 1655 hours, has been delayed..."_

As the announcement trailed off, a couple of older ladies rushed to the entrance of the departure hall, pulling their neon pink luggages after them. Counters nearby were crowded with rows and rows of people and potential passengers, all lined up to book their plane tickets either in advance or in the last minute. Strewn on the floor and benches around the airport were adults sleeping soundly, undisturbed, while families were happily strolling in the shopping area, looking for souvenirs and expensive goods to bring back home.

At the branded café, students who did not even have the slightest intention to travel were busy jotting down notes, studying for their exams, sipping their caffeinated drinks every now and again. Businessmen nearby were keeping their electronic devices away, getting ready to leave for their upcoming flights. "I'm on my way," they would say rather firmly into their phones, before storming off.

Walking slowly out of the arrival hall, curls bouncing with every step he took, Taka fixed his scarf with a free hand, the other dragging the luggage behind him. Catching sight of a large banner just metres away that boldly displayed the words "Welcome to Japan!", followed by an outline of the country and inserted photographs of her popular tourist attractions, the young man smiled.

"Home sweet home," he muttered to himself, albeit more with relief than with happiness.

He watched as several other passengers ran past him, rushing up to their families and loved ones, embracing them with hugs and kisses on their cheeks. Most of them were of his age, young and yet mature, presumably having come back from vacation or an educational trip.

"Okaeri!" the families greeted, grinning from ear to ear, just elated to be able to see their beloved once again.

Taka formed a small smile, and he found himself wishing his family were here right now, so he could hug them and just see the smiles on their faces again...

...Wait, no, that wasn't right! Taka mentally shook his head, frantic; he was in no position to think of that right now. His family couldn't learn of his coming back!

He quickened his pace, now walking down the terminal, past several high end restaurants and luxury stores. "I should really look for a place to stay...," he muttered again as he ran through several options in his head. Should he find someone who would be willing to rent him a room in their apartment? Or perhaps he should stay within a budget and spend his nights at a backpackers hostel nearby?

Even so, he still needed to support himself... Should he get a part-time job? Or should he just forget about the life he lived previously, and get a full-time job instead?

And then his eyes slowly widened as a sudden realisation popped in his head... Did he need to assume a pseudonym?

Huffing a small sigh, Taka continued to walk aimlessly, his gaze fixed on the ground as he paid no mind to where he was walking – or what he was walking into, for that matter. Not too far from him he could hear the voice of a furious young man swearing into his phone, but he barely paid any attention, simply walking forward–

"H-hey! Son of a...!"

A sharp pain shot through the brunet's petite frame, when suddenly the weight of another man slammed into him, their bodies clashing into each other. Passers-by watched as they lost their balance and fell backwards, both landing on their rears, losing grip on their luggages and letting them fall beside them. A small pool of dark liquid began to form on the floor, and for a second Taka widened his eyes. Blood? No, it was...

"Really? Fucking really!?" Swearing before the brunet was a much taller man, presumably of the same age; dressed in a suit with his blond hair slicked backwards, no doubt he looked professional... except that his suit was now coloured brown and dripping wet. Beside what seemed to be a small bluetooth headset, a disposable coffee cup lay on the floor, and the strong odour of coffee rose in the air.

Taka remained on the floor, his mouth wide open as he stared at the sight before him. _Shit..._ He scrambled back to his feet, grabbing the handle of his luggage before attempting to do what the other onlookers did – get the heck out of there!

"Where do you think you're going!?"

"Ack...!" Taka winced in pain, feeling a strong grip on the collar of his shirt as he was quickly yanked back. Helpless, he was forced to make a turn, and within seconds he found himself staring at the blond just inches before him, his brows furrowed and teeth clenched to form an expression of anger and pure hatred. Shifting his hold to the front of his collar now, the blond's grip tightened, showing no signs of letting the shorter go scot free.

Taka pursed his lips and gulped as he cowered in genuine fear. Somehow it felt as if the other's hateful glare pierced through him, striking his chest, feeling his heart pounding in terror. He was _really_ in deep shit right now.

"S-sorry...!" he gasped, but the man only shook him aggressively.

" _'Sorry'_ won't solve anything!" he bellowed. "I have a flight to catch very soon and I have to meet an important client–"

The man stopped, and Taka blinked, confused to see the other widen his eyes and let a short gasp escape his lips, as if he'd just recalled something. Immediately the blond turned, one hand still holding his grip on Taka, and he quickly dragged the young man along with him – he bent down, picking up the bluetooth headset, before putting in on with the free hand. "Mei? Mei, are you still there?"

There was a pause, supposedly the person on the other line speaking to him, and Taka could only watch as the blond's face contorted into a look of rage once again. "Fuck, I said to get the jet flying in five minutes, but– has the captain no sense to at least _wait_ for me to get on board!? Can't you negotiate with him?"

He let out a long exasperated sigh, grinding his teeth again, listening to whatever was being said by the recipient. "Listen, something came up in the last minute, so I– _you_ go ahead first. Take my place. I have to settle some things here."

He pressed a tiny button on the headset, hanging up on the call before turning back to the brunet, who had been watching and listening to his every word. " _You,_ " the man growled accusingly. "This is all your fault! I just missed a flight to see some of my biggest clients, and it was all thanks to you!"

Taka arched a brow. "So just book another flight?"

He didn't fail to notice the other's pupils dilating in fury once more, just seconds before the man shook him by the collar again. "I'm going to sue you for sabotage!" he howled. "What's your name, you little–"

"Wait, wait, wait! Don't! Please don't sue me!" Taka had both his arms raised high above his head now, palms clasped together to denote a pleading gesture. "I can't get in trouble! My family have no idea I'm here!"

At those words, the man immediately stopped shaking him, his expression softening as he looked at the brunet with curious eyes. "Your family... have no idea?"

Taka bit his lip; way to go for blurting that out by accident... but he nodded, nonetheless.

"I'm supposed to be studying in the States right now, but...," he admitted sheepishly, slowly bringing his hands down while he lowered his gaze.

The man arched a brow. "A student dedicated to his studies, huh...?" he commented. "Impressive... So, you're not just a nobody.

"Who are you, then?" he questioned. "A son of a businessman, perhaps? Might I have heard of your father? Or could he be one of my clients?"

"Huh...?" Taka could only blink, staring at the man with utmost confusion. "Uh, none of those...?"

"You couldn't possibly be a normal student?" The man frowned. "Don't lie to me; no such _commoner_ can afford the privilege to study outside the country, and not to mention, the States."

Taka tilted his head slightly. "But... I am?"

"No way! What is your name!?" He pulled Taka forward again, dragging him to where his luggage stood, and he squinted his eyes as he read the tag attached to it, ignoring the shorter's flails. "Moriuchi... Takahiro..."

There was a pause, as if the man was examining the tag further, before he spoke again. "...I don't know you, nor do I know your family," he said. "But just now, I was speaking to my personal assistant. I told her to take my place and represent me during our business trip in Singapore."

"...And how long will that be?" Taka couldn't help asking.

"Three weeks."

Taka felt his heart sink upon hearing those words, and now a wave of guilt was starting to wash over him as he realised the consequences of their incident... but the smirk he saw forming on the other's countenance quickly converted his remorse to a strong, uneasy feeling.

"Since I'll be staying here for the next three weeks, I'll need a personal assistant here too," the man pointed out, his gaze shifting slyly to the brunet.

Taka widened his eyes; it didn't take even an idiot like him to suspect what was on the other's mind. "Ahahaha... I'm sure there's someone out there who will be capable of tha–"

The poor young man was jolted forward again, and he sucked in a breath, having to face the blond's menacing gaze one more time. "You're not going anywhere," he sneered. "If you don't want your family to know you're here, you're going to have to work for me for three weeks."

Panic slowly building up inside him, Taka made weak attempts to push himself away. "N-no way I'm gonna work for some stranger–"

"Fool, do you not have any idea who I am?" the other twitched. "I am Yamashita Toru, son of one of the world's most successful businessman, the founder of the biggest contributor to this nation's economy."

Taka froze, silent. This man sounded remarkable... in fact, so much so that he could barely find the words to respond. But the man known as Toru only rolled his eyes.

"Like I said, you're going to have to work with me while my assistant takes my place in Singapore." He pulled the brunet closer, forcing him to look him straight in the eye. "Otherwise... you can kiss your ass and your family goodbye."

Taka's lips quivered. Pissing this guy off would be no joke... He was, after all, an important figure to the economy. But, having to work for such an important person for three weeks?

What the hell did he just get himself into!?


	2. Yamashita Residence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to add in a disclaimer that I do not own Porsche lol ; ;  
> Two updates in one day! Because this chapter only focuses on where Taka will be living, I thought it would be a bit boring... So I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and the next!

Toru sighed impatiently, tucking both hands into his pockets. His gaze remained fixed on the heavy, maroon-coloured robes before him, seemingly swaying every two seconds upon physical contact. After a long wait, a hand poked out from behind them, brushing the robes aside to reveal the brunet standing behind, dressed smartly in a tight-fitting suit, complete with a skinny necktie.

Taka stepped out of the dressing room, his leather shoes making silent steps on the carpet beneath him. A finger pulling slightly on the collar of his shirt, he winced in pain and discomfort; how could anyone stand wearing something that did nothing but suffocate you? Lowering his hand, he gulped, standing there awkwardly as he felt Toru's gaze on him, trailing him from head to toe, examining him.

Toru gave a firm nod. "We'll have this as well," he said, waving a hand at a sales lady standing nearby. "Please give the other sets separate carriers each."

The sales lady bowed, flashing a bright smile as she escorted them back to the counter. Standing beside the blond, Taka proceeded to stuff the casual clothing he was wearing before into his luggage, waiting while the total amount for their new sets of clothes was being calculated. He couldn't help shifting his gaze when the blond dug out a branded wallet, only to widen his eyes at the outrageous amount of cards inside!

Toru wasted no time in picking a platinum card and handing it to the sales lady, who proceeded to make a transaction. Taka spoke up, deciding to take this opportunity, "Uh, sir, why do we need all those...?"

The other rolled his eyes, typing into the card terminal. "I needed some new sets of clothes," he said. "Especially since _someone_ spilt coffee all over me."

Taka bit his lips in guilt, when the blond added, "...And I figured, you need some new sets of clothes as well."

He took his card and slid it back into his wallet, while the sales lady placed and arranged several large paper bags onto the counter before them. "Besides," he continued, keeping his wallet away. "I can't have an assistant who looks like he's been living off of thrift shops."

Taka twitched. "B-but these suits are expensive! There's no way I can afford all these–"

"Then consider it a gift from me." He turned to the brunet, the corners of his lips raising to form a smug look. "And if you choose to back out, you're going to have to pay me back."

He grabbed the paper bags and shoved them hard towards Taka, causing the latter to flinch. Leaving him to hold onto them, Toru quickly turned and made his way out of the store, pulling his luggage after him.

Holding the bags with one hand and grabbing his own luggage with the other, Taka quickly bowed and thanked the sales lady before rushing after his new so-called boss, pushing aside any growing feelings of resentment he had towards him.

Taka had barely caught up with him when a cell phone was suddenly shoved in his face. "Go call a cab," the blond demanded, albeit refusing to turn to face him. "I will not accept anything less than a limousine."

Taka obediently took the phone, staring at its screen in silent confusion. He didn't really know the number for a limo cab... but if he asked, there was no doubt that Toru would get mad at him. The brunet shook his head, dialing up the number for a standard cab instead, receiving a response immediately after. After a brief exchange of information, he quickly hung up before returning the device to the blond.

"It'll probably arrive at the taxi stand in a few minutes," he said. "So... let's go."

They grabbed their stuff and advanced to the stand just outside the terminal, and neither of them failed to notice a long queue of tourists and familes waiting with their children. The two stood away from the crowd, and though they were right beside each other, there was no denying the obvious tension between the both of them.

They had only waited for a couple of minutes before Toru heaved a sigh, shifting his weight from one leg to the other while he checked his wristwatch. "Tch... what's taking them so long?"

Beside him, Taka stood still, his attention fixed on the sight before him; a middle-aged lady with her son half her age, his huge luggage standing beside him.

The lady beamed, pinching his cheeks. "You've lost weight... Have you been eating properly?" But the young man could only scratch his cheeks and laugh nervously.

Taka formed a small smile. _Ii na..._ His mum would surely do the same if she could see him right now. He imagined her getting overly worried for him, dragging him to a nearby restaurant and ordering everything on the menu just to spoil him.

A sudden car horn made the brunet jump and immediately snapped him back to reality; he turned to the direction of the sound, finding a yellow cab waiting on the road. On the dashboard displayed a plate with a label that read "On Call", and he knew it was the cab he'd asked for.

A gasp escaping his lips, Taka quickly grabbed his bags and ran towards it, while the blond followed slowly behind him, frowning when they finally came to a stop beside the vehicle.

"This is our cab...?" Toru questioned, his brows furrowed, and the other simply nodded. But Toru only frowned further. "You're lying."

"Not at all."

Still sceptical, the blond took out his phone and looked through his call logs, and his expression quickly darkened. "Didn't I tell you to get a limousine?" he hissed, turning back to the brunet.

"I– I don't know the number, so...!"

Toru groaned, slapping his forehead with the palm of his hand. "I don't know which is worse... Not knowing the number for a limousine, or taking a ride in a standard cab..."

"It's the same thing, isn't it!" Taka quipped. "They're both just cars that bring you to your destination!"

"They are _not_ the same thing!" the blond responded immediately, raising his voice. "A limousine provides an all-round air conditioning system, seats made of pure, genuine leather, and. Space. To. Breathe."

"Ano...," a voice interrupting them, the two turned to the cab, finding the driver poking his head out of his window. "Are you the ones who called me? Are you getting in?"

The men turned back to each other, with the blond glaring menacingly at Taka, flashing a look of disappointment and hatred. It left the other shaken, quickly averting his gaze, desperate to focus on anything and everything but the blond before him. Very quickly he gestured to the driver to open the door of the trunk, placing their bags and luggage neatly inside.

He had barely closed the trunk when he felt someone grab him by the collar again, and he gasped along with the onlookers when he was dragged straight to the doors of the cab. He was roughly tossed into the vehicle, falling face and hands first into the rear seat, his curls nearly touching the door on the other side.

Taka struggled to pull himself back up, turning to find that Toru had taken the front seat. The doors closed simultaneously and, after receiving directions from Toru, the cab began to drive out of the airport. Taka laid his back against the seat, arms folded; anger slowly building up inside him, he took slow, deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down, careful not to lose his temper before his boss.

_What a dick,_ he thought as he blinked his tears away. Throwing him in just because he didn't call a limo cab? This guy had serious anger management issues.

Slouching in his seat, Taka gave a final sigh before turning to the window, watching the scenery outside as they drove past.

It was a long and quiet ride, with neither the brunet nor even the driver daring to make a sound, to cough or to clear their throats. Each passing minute gradually felt longer, the agonising silence getting heavier with every turn or pause the vehicle made. It wasn't until the men recognised the familiar streets of central Tokyo that they all let out a subtle sigh, just glad and relieved that they were getting close to their destination.

Taka sunk further into his seat, deliberately shielding his view from the streets outside. He knew the streets here, and he knew the people here; it would be a problem if anyone saw and recognised him...

The cab drove away from the crowded streets, much to his relief, and soon made a turn into a quiet neighbourhood. Taka pulled himself up now, their pace declining, and he watched as they drove past several private houses, all lined up side by side along the road. They all seemed uniform, and yet, each of them were different and had their own unique features.

It wasn't a big neighbourhood, and eventually the cab came to a stop; Taka didn't fail to notice the double-storey building standing proudly outside. He frowned; if Toru really lived here, it didn't seem very impressive...

"That will be 30,000 yen," the driver spoke, flashing a small smile at the blond sitting beside him.

Taka watched as Toru handed him another card this time, and payment was quickly made before the doors were automatically opened. The two young men made their leave, but not before Taka thanked the driver, and he quickly proceeded to retrieve their bags from the trunk.

The cab drove away, and Taka, still holding on to the bags and luggages, walked briskly to catch up with the blond. Looking around, he noticed how expensive the private houses seemed, and not to mention how quiet and lonely the atmosphere felt... He wouldn't be surprised if everyone that lived here were just like Toru; big, important – and spoilt – businessmen.

Toru's particular house didn't seem too large... It had no garden or backyard, but resting between the gates and the building was a stylish black car, its beauty seemed to glisten under the dimming rays of the sun. The moment Taka recognised it was a Porsche, he wasted no second in moving away, for fear of any consequences should he damage it somehow.

A wooden platform leading to the door, Toru opened it with ease and quickly stepped into the house, with Taka following close behind.

"Whoa...," a gasp escaped the brunet's lips, and he widened his eyes as he took in the sight of his surroundings. Okay, this house was _significantly_ bigger on the inside. An open kitchen facing the huge, spacious living room, followed by a narrow, open staircase that led to the second floor, which included multiple rooms.

On one side of the living room, glass windows that reached from the ceiling to the floor replaced the walls, facing the streets and busy districts not too far off in the distance. Complemented with smooth, marble flooring and stylish furniture, the house boasted a modern and foreign concept.

For a moment, Taka had forgotten that they were still in Japan; this house was a huge culture shock from what he was used to seeing back at his own home, and he couldn't even dare compare his dorm back in college to this... this contemporary way of living.

So... this was the kind of environment rich people lived in? Waking up every day in this huge building knowing that everything in this place could probably a hundred men's annual salaries!?

"Stop standing there and do your work," Toru's nagging voice caught the brunet's attention again. "Take off your shoes. Throw those filthy clothes in the washing machine and start it up. Then get yourself changed and prepare something for dinner."

He obliged to take his shoes off, but Taka simply blinked and tilted his head at the other commands. "Does... does your personal assistant normally do these things?"

"My assistant is fully aware and accepting of the work she does," Toru explained, his back facing the other. "This is completely normal for her."

"...Oh." Taka shrugged. "Well, I thought she's just your assistant in terms of work–"

"A good personal assistant does whatever is told of them, and _never_ questions the employer," Toru said rather abruptly, this time turning to give him a final glare, and Taka quickly lowered his gaze, understanding that it was his cue to stop talking.

He waited until Toru turned to look out the window, and the brunet rolled his eyes, pulling out their clothes from before and navigating his way to the laundry room. To think someone actually worked for that guy... They probably tolerated him for the money. He dumped the clothes into the washing machine, grabbing the nearest laundry powder and throwing in an ambiguous amount before starting it.

He returned to the living room, finding that one of the windows had been opened, and that the blond was now quietly smoking a cigarette, presumably watching the streets in the distance.

The brunet proceeded to undress; struggling out of the necktie and taking off the outerwear, before placing them neatly on his luggage beside him. He began to unbutton his shirt, starting from the collar... then the next button... and the next button... and the next button... and the ne–

"Aho, what do you think you're doing!?" Taka's movements were halted, feeling a tight, painful grip on his wrist. He looked up to find the blond looking down at him, frowning.

"Uh... you told me to change...?" Taka responded, but the grip on his wrist only tightened.

"Not here, dumbass!" Grabbing the elder's belongings, Toru quickly led him upstairs, down the hallway to a room near the end.

"Here," Toru said, pushing the other into the room. "You can stay in my assistant's room in the meantime."

With a hand clutching onto his stuff, Taka took a step inside, looking cautiously around the room. Though it was large, it didn't present much; aside from the long, silk curtains that covered the windows, and a door that led to a washroom, only a single bed, a wardrobe, and a desk were laid out, leaving the rest of the room bare and somehow solitary.

"You have ten minutes to unpack everything and come back downstairs," Toru instructed from behind.

"Ten minutes!?" the other repeated. "That's barely enough time for me to unpack!"

The blond remained silent for a moment, as if reconsidering his words.

"You're right," he said. "Eleven minutes." And with that he quickly left the room, slamming the door behind him.


	3. Yamashita Management Inc.

He wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

He checked that both bowls had about the same amount of rice, both their mugs had the same amount of hot tea. The side dishes were equally distributed among themselves, with the chopsticks resting at their sides, producing an almost identical image.

Taka took a step back and nodded, smiling proudly to himself. Everything was just the way he wanted them to be!

"I'll call you back. I'll be at the office tomorrow," Toru spoke into his phone, coincidentally hanging up on the call before turning to the dining table, just in time to see that his new assistant had finished plating up their dinner.

Sliding the phone into his pocket, he walked slowly to the table, staring down at the humble spread of food before him. "Wh-... what's this?"

"Teriyaki beef and kinpira gobo," Taka replied confidently.

"I know what they are." Toru frowned at him. "I'm asking why you're feeding these to me."

The other blinked. "Well... I'm confident in cooking them, so..."

The blond gave no further response, only proceeding to take his seat. Taka followed suit, and after saying grace, only picked up his pair of chopsticks after Toru. He watched cautiously as Toru took a small strip of the meat, popping it into his mouth and chewing in silence, and though he said nothing, Taka couldn't help smiling nobly to himself. No further complaints there... That meant Toru liked the food, right?

They continued without a word, both only gazing down at their own plates of food, refusing to look up at each other. Especially for Taka, who was overly self-conscious with everything he did – chew quietly, chew with his mouth closed, do not take too many side dishes at once, hold the mug with both hands, et cetera... and every second or two he found himself wondering what his new boss thought of his cooking. Too salty? Too bland? Was it too much or too little?

With every moment that passed his consciousness grew increasingly unnerving, to the point where he was starting to shake in his seat and had to pause his eating in order to calm himself down.

Toru finished his food rather quickly, leaving his dishes completely empty, not a single grain of rice or a drop of tea to be found. Wiping his lips daintily with a serviette, he quickly got to his feet, grabbing his keys and leaving the house immediately after, the brunet left alone with the dirty dishes.

Taka sighed. He stood up as well, clearing the dishes and bringing them to the sink. Again, not a word from Toru... It wasn't like he particularly hated this lack of communication; and besides, even if Toru did say something, how would he respond? Not to mention nothing nice probably came out of his mouth anyway...

Brushing those thoughts aside, he went back to his chores, throwing away his leftovers and rinsing the dishes under running water.

 

*********

The sky was getting darker outside. When he was done with the dishes, Taka spent a bit of time walking around the house, hoping to familiarise himself with the new environment. And now he was moving towards the windows, looking out to the crowded streets. Already banners and signs were starting to light up, and the crowds only got bigger as people were rushing to have a drink, or perhaps to have some fun in the red light districts.

He found himself wishing he could be one of them... He returned to Japan because he simply didn't want to study any more, but this wasn't what he asked for; of course, nothing could beat living under a rich man's roof and getting the comfort he'd never experienced before, but was this all really worth it...?

The sound of keys coming from the main door caused the brunet to jump, and he turned just in time to find Toru stepping into the house, locking the door behind him and placing a huge paper bag on the kitchen counter.

Taka slowly approached him. "Were you out shopping...?"

"You cook as if the crops fall from the sky," Toru quipped, his back facing him. " _Someone's_ got to restock the groceries."

The emphasis made Taka gulp, feeling guilty; after all, _he_ was the personal assistant, so shouldn't he be the one shopping for groceries instead? "L-let me do it," he said, reaching for the paper bag. "I'll arrange them for you."

Toru didn't seem to mind, for although he didn't say anything, he moved away, leaving the brunet alone to look through his groceries. But when Taka pulled out the items from the bag, instead of raw ingredients, all he got was...

"Instant curry rice?" Taka said, appalled as he looked at the box in his hands, completely covered in blue paper wrapping followed by a cheesily inserted photograph of a curry dish. "Why would you buy this?"

"I was hungry," Toru replied simply, turning to face him.

"But you just ate!"

"No one can eat that piece of garbage you just cooked up."

"But how is that any different from pre-prepared food!?" the brunet shrieked, waving the box frantically. "And you only bought one for yourself!?"

"Why would I buy one for you after all that happened today?" Toru snapped, snatching the box away from him. "And you can cook for yourself, can't you?"

Taka couldn't counter any more. He could only stare at the blond with teary, enraged eyes, fists clenched to keep his anger at bay. The other man only returned with a cold gaze, before walking away, grabbing the now empty paper bag with him and crushing it in his palm.

Way to show some appreciation... Huffing his frustrations away, Taka too stomped off, making his way upstairs to the room he was made to stay in. He closed the door behind him before collapsing on the bed, burying his face into the pillow in exhaustion.

It didn't take long before he fell into a deep slumber.

 

*********

_Standing before him was his family; his mother, father, and two younger brothers beaming proudly to themselves, clapping their hands enthusiastically while they cheered for him. Every once in a while, his mother would bring up a handkerchief, wiping away a small tear that hung from the corner of her eye._

_"No words in this world can express how proud we are of you," she said, bringing her fists to her chest. "Please do your best in the US!"_

_"Don't forget to call us!" one of the brothers reminded him, running a hand afterwards through his thick, bleached hair. The older sibling nodded in agreement._

_"And visit us whenever you can," his father added, folding his arms._

_And soon they went back to cheering, the parents clapping their hands and the brothers throwing their fists in the air, chanting his name over and over again in unison, "Taka! Taka! Taka!"_

_As they cheered on, the characters seemed to fade out into the darkness, their voices also getting softer, thinner, as if reducing to just a lone voice, "Taka... Taka..._

_"Taka..._

_"Taka..._

"...Taka!"

The loud voice bellowed through his ears, and the brunet flinched himself awake, his eyes shot open immediately to find the taller looming above him, staring down at him with an unamused expression on his face.

"How the hell could you sleep like that?" Toru scoffed. "I've been trying to wake you up for the past five minutes."

Taka groaned, reluctantly pulling himself out of bed, when suddenly he felt a set of heavy clothes being thrown over him.

"Hurry up and get dressed," Toru instructed. "I have an important meeting to attend, and you're coming along."

The other clutched lightly on the clothes, flashing a confused look at him. "A meeting...?"

Toru hesitated for a second, but replied nonetheless, "I'm going to see my boss." And with that he quickly left the room, refusing to say another word.

Taka blinked; his boss...? Didn't Toru say he was the son of a successful businessman? If that was the case, then, that meant his 'boss' would refer to... his father?

They were going to see his father?

 

*********

The elevator bell rang, coming to a slow but nauseous stop at a ridiculously high floor of the office building. Taka gulped as the doors opened before him; here he was, suffocating in his overly tight suit, his curly locks slicked backwards exposing his bare forehead, standing in what was possibly the country's most important building.

And he was going to see its director.

He followed Toru down the floor, walking past several meeting rooms and personal offices. A number of colleagues even paused in their work to greet Toru, after which Toru greeted back – Taka on the other hand was only greeted with a simple nod, but even he could feel their gazes following him after they had walked away.

He gulped, cowering somehow into his suit; it felt like... everyone was judging him. Eyeing him. Watching his every move.

The two eventually reached the end of the floor, to a door with a label that read "DIRECTOR" in bold letters, and Taka shuddered; this situation was just getting worse, and he hadn't even met him yet... Toru's father was just a few steps away. Within seconds terrifying questions began unraveling in the brunet's head; What was the director like? What were they going to talk about? What would the director think of him?

He could already feel his heart pounding hard against his chest. Shitshitshit. No. He didn't want this. He wasn't ready–

–a sudden tight grip on his own hand nearly made the brunet yelp in surprise; he turned, only to find that Toru had reached out for his hand, his grip so tight it felt as if he was holding on to Taka for dear life.

Taka's heart only started beating faster. _What?_

"My f–... My boss is a very scary person," the taller began, lowering his gaze and yet his back continued to face the other, as if ashamed to present himself. Well, if this was Toru's way of expressing his fear... Then exactly how scary was this man, so much that he could reduce his own son to this... this helpless state?

"He's probably going to say something to scare you," the blond continued. "Do not let his words get to you."

And just as quickly as he'd held it, he retreated his own hand, losing his grip on Taka's. He raised his gaze again, regaining his composure, and he gave the door a couple of hard knocks before sliding a card through a terminal, pushing the door open.

Taka immediately tensed up, and followed closely behind.

Stepping into the office, Taka could only widen his eyes at his surroundings. Director's office indeed... It was way, way bigger than the offices he'd seen just moments before, and though there were shelves filled with tons of files and paperwork lined up against the walls, the room still seemed vast and plain, safe for a round array of chairs facing a large, wooden desk at the very end of the room.

Taka couldn't miss that, very much like the blond's house, the walls on one side of the office had been replaced with glass windows, overlooking the rest of the city below them.

"Good morning," an older man greeted from the desk, getting up from his seat. He fixed his coat and stepped forward, head held high as he flashed a sly smile and bowed before them. Taka followed as Toru bowed as well, but not before the blond returned a cold gaze in his father's direction.

The brunet felt a shiver run up his spine; somehow, there was tension in the atmosphere here...

"I am very disappointed to hear that you missed your flight to Singapore, Toru-kun," the man started immediately, arching a brow at his son, the smug expression still glued on his face.

"My apologies." Toru's head hung low. "There had been some unforeseen circumstances. However I have instructed my personal assistant Mei-san to represent me during her trip there."

At the mention of his personal assistant, Taka felt obliged to step up, bowing again. "Actually, sir, it was my fault that your son missed his flight. I apologise..."

Toru turned to give a stern frown at him, but the older man only seemed curious. "And you are...?"

"M-Moriuchi Takahiro, sir!" Taka introduced himself. "I am currently serving as the temporary assistant!"

"He just returned from studying in the States, and will be filling in for Mei-san for the time being," Toru added.

There was a short silence, and Taka tried not to falter when the man turned to him; just like the other colleagues, his gaze remained fixed on the brunet, probably forming his own opinion of him... Whatever he was thinking behind that smile of his, it couldn't be good.

"Did you pick him up randomly?" the man questioned, now turning back to the blond, but the latter only stiffened, almost at a loss for words. "Toru-kun," the man continued, after receiving no response. "There is something I need to share with you. Will you please see me in your office right now?"

"Yes, sir." Toru nodded, and without saying any more, he quickly left the room, the director walking behind him, into an office not too far from his own.

The door closed behind them, and Taka immediately let out a deep sigh; he wasn't even aware that he'd been holding his breath in for the past few minutes. That was... uncomfortable. Even though the director didn't say anything to him directly, Taka couldn't help but shudder as he recalled the man staring at him, as if studying him.

Hoping to calm himself down, he slowly walked to the glass windows, scanning the view of the rest of the city surrounding this building. The sun was not as bright as he'd liked, since it was still pretty early in the morning, but he could already make out the layout of the ward, he could still recognise the streets and some smaller office buildings standing nearby.

From this height, the vehicles on the road drove smoothly, their tiny frames reminiscent of the toy cars he used to own as a kid. The brunet was already beginning to see crowds of people crossing the streets, either on their way to work or to school, and yet the shopping and entertainment districts remained as packed as ever, as if stuck in a time paradox where sleep or closing hours didn't exist.

If he looked beyond that district... Taka couldn't ignore the sinking feeling in his chest. From here, he could see it – the neighbourhood he grew up in, a clutter of apartment buildings where he used to live. A subconscious hand lifted and lightly touched the surface of the glass, and the man bit his lip. He thought about his family; how were they feeling? What were they doing right now?

And were they thinking of him, just like how he was thinking of them?

The sound of a knock on the door made him jump, and he quickly turned, only to find the director stepping into the office. The door came to a close again, and the brunet blinked in surprise. Where was Toru?

Right now, it was just him, and the director...

He quickly flashed a smile and bowed again, not failing to realise that the man still had that smug look from before.

"My son's _temporary_ personal assistant," the man said, walking towards him now. "You said your name was... Moriuchi Takahiro, right?

"May I call you Takahiro-kun?" he asked. "My family likes to be... close."

"Yes...," Taka muttered, but then he quickly added, "...sir!"

And suddenly the smile was wiped off the director's face.

"Takahiro-kun," he called, his attitude now solemn and grave. "Now that you are working for us, even if only as a substitute, it is important for you to know what we are involved with.

"My company specialises in management and producing managers, and we work in just about anything and everything." Waving a hand, he listed, "Management for sports agencies, modeling agencies, music professionals, even buildings – you name it, we have it; our managers are involved in every field you can think of."

Taka gulped; now he could see why this company was so huge... They had positions everywhere! He knew there were schools that provided management, but now that he was standing here, in this office, he imagined only the best of the best graduates were accepted to work here.

It wouldn't surprise the young man if everyone was just as stuck up as his own boss, throwing tantrums and venting their frustrations on everything if things didn't go their way.

"If you're wondering, my son is not working as a manager, but rather...," the man paused, as if thinking to string the right words together, before continuing, "...he is working to take my place as director someday. You could say he's in... training; while I stay here to check on my company personally, I send him to meetings and trips in my place, so he knows what to expect when he officially takes on this role."

His heart sunk again as the realisation hit him; now Taka understood why Toru was so pressured and stressed all the time... Of course, that meant that the trip to Singapore – he was going in his father's place, too!

"I expect only the best for my son," the man added again. "Therefore... I assume you can live up to that expectation, Takahiro-kun?"

Taka could only stand there, staring at him, contemplating if that was a rhetorical question.

"You just came back from the States, so your family must be quite well off, I assume?"

"Y-you could say that, sir," Taka replied, throwing a quick glance in the direction of the window, where he saw his neighbourhood.

A small laugh escaped the man's lips, breaking his professional demeanour. "Very well. I shall not ask any more; I can already tell that you are intimidated by me."

Taka hadn't been aware of how tense he seemed, and he quickly tried to relax his posture.

"Do your best, Takahiro-kun," the man said. "And do not do anything that will pull my son down... or pull _me_ down." His expression darkened. "I know your family is very important to you."

Taka froze, but remained silent; What... what was that supposed to mean?

"Go. Do not keep my son waiting."

Fear and confusion still lingering within him, the young man gave his final, silent greeting, before making his leave. He found Toru standing outside, the expression on his face much colder than it had been before.

"Let's go," the blond said, barely glancing in his direction and he quickly turned to walk down the floor, as if in a hurry.

They went back the same way they had gotten there; Taka carefully took his place in the front seat of the Porsche, brushing his fingertips lightly over every surface he came in contact with. Meanwhile his boss was in charge of the driving of course, taking the seat beside him, engaging the gear from neutral and starting the engine.

The drive home was rather short, and yet neither of them could deny the daunting silence between them, the only sounds coming from Toru's movements as he drove. Taka had his head turned to the window, watching the scenery outside, but he couldn't help turning in his boss' direction whenever they came to a temporary stop at the traffic lights – and yet all he could see was a glimpse of his countenance, vexed and frustrated.

What could the director... _his father_ have discussed with him earlier? Probably even more meetings and projects to make up for missing his business trip...

Taka gulped. Or could it be something related to... _him?_

They reached the blond's residence shortly after, and Taka heaved a quick sigh of relief. Finally. They were home. He stepped into the house and flashed a smile. After so long, he could retreat to his room and relax... or so he thought.

"...You know, this is all your fault."

Taka looked up at the younger, surprised by his sudden words.

"This is all your fault," Toru repeated. "If I hadn't met you, this wouldn't be happening. If I hadn't met you, I would be with my _real_ assistant, on our business trip, meeting our biggest clients, instead of being stuck here right now with you."

Ah... This must have something to do with whatever the director said to him before. So it was about Taka after all...

"Because of you, my assistant has to take responsibility for my absence in Singapore," the other continued. "Because of you, the company's reputation is slowly being looked down upon, when I could be there right now, bringing this company to the top of the global ranks."

The blond clenched a fist, slamming it hard against the kitchen counter, and the elder flinched.

"...You've caused _nothing_ but trouble." Toru gave a forbidding gaze, grinding his teeth in anger just like he'd been the first time he bumped into the other.

Taka quivered, only returning a horrified stare, trying his best to ignore the tears that had welled up in his eyes. Either from fear or from anger, he didn't know... all he did know was that the blond had somehow hurt him in a way he'd never been hurt before, sending small stabs through his build with his jarring words.

The blond moved to his fridge, pulling out a tall can of beer before walking away, leaving the brunet alone in his state, pained and speechless.

 

*********

The young man took a long, deep breath, to calm himself down, to convince himself that everything was going to be fine. And before he could give himself a second to hesitate again, he quickly dialed the number before bringing his cell phone to his ear.

The call rang through his ears, but only for a second.

"Taka-chan!" an older lady's voice squealed with glee on the other line, and he could almost picture her smiling into the phone. "You finally called, Taka-chan! I answered the moment your name popped up on the caller ID!"

Taka gave a small grin. "Hey," he greeted, and on the other line, he heard the voices of his brothers and both his parents greeting him back, and he figured that he'd been put on speaker.

"Taka-chan, how are you doing in the US so far?" his mother's warm voice questioned with genuine concern. "We miss you so much."

"I miss you too," the brunet sniffled. "It's... I'm doing fine. I just have a lot of work to do, and I'm very tired."

With every word his voice was getting heavier with sorrow. "I miss you guys a lot. I'd give up anything to be with you right now."

"Taka-chan, hang in there!" He listened as his family made attempts to comfort him, ensuring that they would always be his pillar of support, and they lamented, repeating his words over and over again, that they too would give up anything to be with him.

Taka let his own tears roll down his cheeks as he listened, coughing into his hand which held a napkin to wipe the tears that threatened him, but even he couldn't catch up with his overwhelming emotions. He said nothing, just weeping into the phone, not caring if his family could hear his silent cries and sniffles.

And apparently, he was also oblivious to the tall figure standing outside, leaning against his door and listening to his every word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! Two updates in a day! I hope this is okay!  
> I want to apologise because I just realised that suffixes will play a big part in this fic I think... If you're confused or have any questions about them, please don't hesitate to leave a comment! I'd be more than glad to explain!  
> I also want to apologise because I don't know how to translate "kinpira gobo" ahahaha orz;;;
> 
> I don't really have much to say, I think, except that I hope these chapters were written okay...  
> Other than that, I hope everyone enjoyed them! ; ;  
> Thank you for continuing to give your support! I'll never forget you guys! ; v ; And have a great week ahead!


	4. Moriuchi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the iPad or any other Apple products.  
> Please enjoy this chapter!

His eyelids lifted slowly, but barely, the sunlights threatening to blind him as they shone their brightest into his room. The brunet kicked his bed sheets away, feeling himself sweating from the warmth. He groaned and turned in his bed, reaching out for his phone to look at the time...

...only to find that it was just a little after noon.

Taka immediately shot up, eyes widened at the device before him. He must have slept through his alarm! He shuddered at the thought of Toru, of how pissed he could be after finding that Taka hadn't prepared anything for his breakfast, or done any of his chores...

The brunet proceeded to wash up and change, all at lightning speed before rushing downstairs. He found Toru sitting on the couch, barely looking up at him, his attention fixed on his iPad as he scrolled the screen with a finger to read the news on the net.

Taka gulped; after what happened the day before, he wasn't really sure how to act around him... but now was no time to worry about that! He gave a quick, low bow. "Good mo–"

"Good afternoon, Taka," Toru spoke up, still heavily focused on the iPad.

Taka simply stood there, a little confused over Toru's serene demeanour – but he couldn't deny feeling a little glad, just relieved that he didn't get reprimanded... yet.

He moved to the kitchen hoping to prepare a little something for lunch when something on the dining table caught his eye; plates laid out with food left untouched, it was a complete meal for one. Taka turned back to his boss. "Sir, you haven't had your breakfast yet?" he enquired. "Or is this your lunch–"

" _Brunch,_ " Toru corrected him. "And that's for you."

Taka tilted his head. "Huh...?"

"I cooked that."

Taka examined the dishes; accompanying the bowl of rice was some miso soup and a small, steamed fish. It wasn't much, but it was definitely a generous meal for just one person. Then he turned back to the blond, only to find that the latter had been staring right back at him.

Toru quickly turned back to his device. "I... was in a good mood, so."

Taka blinked; there were a lot of confusing questions spinning in his mind right now; after what happened... why was Toru being so nice all of a sudden? Why was he in such a good mood? Did he normally do this with his previous assistant?

But Taka was in no position to question all that, and he certainly had no right to complain, so he only gave another bow. "Th-thank you... Sir," he mumbled, proceeding to take his seat afterwards and start on his first and most important meal of the day. After saying grace, he picked up his chopsticks, slowly and cautiously taking the first few bites; he couldn't deny that he was just a tad bit suspicious and terrified of the situation he was in right now.

He wasn't far into the meal when the blond put his iPad away, resting it on the empty space beside him. Toru then got to his feet, walking towards the windows to look outside; he seemed to be looking at somewhere far away, perhaps even beyond the city streets, and his mind was possibly somewhere even further – but then he quickly snapped back to reality, walking towards Taka and taking a seat across from him.

Neither of them said anything for a long while, with Taka quietly consuming his food while the other simply watched. The elder tried to focus on his meal, focus on anything but the blond before him, subconsciously picking up the pace as he ate.

"Taka," the blond finally called, leaning forward against the table. But the man in question barely looked back at him.

"Mm?" was all Taka could utter, stuffing his mouth with as much food as his own body allowed.

"Taka, take a break and look at me."

"Mmpff!" By now the brunet had his bowl raised higher, partially shielding his view of the other man.

"Takahiro!" The sudden harsh mention of his first name left the brunet frozen, paused in the midst of his eating, but his posture remained, arms still lifted in the air standing in the way of his field of vision.

Toru reached out for the brunet, his hand placed directly on Taka's, gently pushing them downwards until they rested on the table; he could now see the elder's face, looking him straight in the eye, his expression utterly guileless thanks to all the food stuffed in his mouth.

Taka took this moment to swallow them all in one massive gulp, wincing in pain immediately afterwards, but the blond soon called for him again.

"Taka, give me two minutes," he requested, his gaze lowered seemingly to focus on the empty dish before him, fish bones scattered all over. "I want to apologise... for yesterday."

Taka blinked, his confusion only adding up, but the blond continued, "I did not mean anything I said yesterday." He squeezed slightly on the brunet's hands. "I did not mean to hurt your feelings... if I did."

The other didn't say anything; he could hardly come up with a response. How could he? Especially when he lowered his gaze, finding the blond's hand holding onto his own, warm and tight...

His boss seemed to have noticed it too, for at that moment he immediately widened his eyes and retreated his hand, and he folded his arms as he turned away, clearing his throat. "I was just angry and accidentally vented on you," he said rather quickly, clearly embarrassed. "And I am sorry for that. That's all."

The other was only feeling increasingly awkward; what the hell was going on? And more importantly... why did it feel as if his guts were churning like there was a circus in there? Had there been something in the food after all? Poison?

Or was this something else?

He needed to get away from this situation right now... Taka quickly got to his feet, bringing his utensils to the sink. Without saying a word, he began washing his dirty dishes, secretly hoping that the blond hadn't followed him.

But he did.

Taka tried his best to pretend not to notice when the blond stood beside him, and he simply continued rinsing his now empty bowl under the running water. But even that was proving to be an impossible task when Toru outstretched a hand to reach for the bowl, grabbing the brunet's own hands again as he did so.

Taka jumped in surprise, letting the bowl drop into the sink, the tap water still running – but Toru's hands were still on his.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Taka looked up at him, flustered, but the other remained expressionless.

"I'm trying to help you."

"I– I can do this on my own..." Taka turned back to the sink, frowning slightly. "Look, I... Let me do the work today."

A hand still fixed on Taka's, Toru's other hand reached to turn the tap off. "If this is about not doing work this morning, don't wo–"

"That's not it," Taka interrupted, his demeanour now solemn. "I've been thinking seriously about it last night, and I've decided... Maybe I don't want to work for you any more."

The grip on his hand got significantly weaker. "What?"

"I... I thought about it," Taka said. "Maybe I should go back to the States after all. I mean, my family are paying so much for my education, and they all think I'm working really hard for their sake, so I can't just leave them hanging–"

"So you're going to leave _me_ hanging instead?"

It was Taka's turn to be confused, looking up to find the other frowning at him, unamused. But Toru simply continued, "You already agreed you would be working for me for these three weeks. Are you sure you want to go against your own words now?"

"I only agreed to that because I didn't want my family to know I'm here," the elder retaliated. "Now that I'm going back, it doesn't matter, does it?"

Toru tightened his grip around his hand, but this time the contact felt harsh, threatening, in contrast to his previous gentle touch. "You can't! You're working for me now! That's what you said!"

The other twitched; confused, because just moments ago Toru was being so kind to him! And now, he was fed up and enraged by his boss' words. "Just so you know, you're one of the reasons why I don't want to work here any more," he hissed. "All you ever think of is yourself! I've had enough of it!"

With much force and aggression he pushed the blond away, causing the latter to lose his grip on him. And before Toru could reach for him again, Taka was already running upstairs, retreating to his room. The sound of him slamming the door nearly shook the entire house, leaving the blond to flinch, feeling rather lonely and dumbfounded on his own.

Leaning his back against the wooden door, Taka heaved a deep sigh of relief. He finally managed to escape his boss this time...

And to think he actually ate his cooking...

*********

It had been hours since that happened.

The sun was setting now, and the house was quickly illuminated with the evening lights as the sky got darker outside. On the second floor, away from the living room and secluded from the public outside, it was almost completely silent, just a still tranquility that hung in the atmosphere, the only noise coming from...

...Taka's empty stomach.

The brunet winced in discomfort, trying to ignore the heavy sounds of his growling stomach. He curled himself into a ball, clutching the bed sheets around him, shutting his eyes tight. He'd been struggling to fall asleep for hours but to no avail, and his being restless wasn't helping one bit.

The brunet jumped at the sudden sounds of knocking on his door, but did nothing; heh, good thing the door was unlo–

"Taka," Toru called, his voice deep and clear now after having pushed the door open and peering his head inside.

Fuck.

"Taka, you haven't had dinner, have you?" Toru spoke again, his tone just a little above a whisper. "I left some for you."

"No, thanks. I'd rather starve," the elder replied coldly, pulling the sheets above his head.

"Please come down. I need to talk to you about something."

"If it's another apology, don't bother," Taka said. "I'm not working for you any more, so–"

"Just shut up and listen– we're going to visit your family."

Upon those words Taka pushed the sheets away, looking up at the other with wide eyes. "Wh-what...?"

"We're going to visit your family."

"But why?" the brunet shrieked. "I– I can't go back there! My family can't know that I'm here, and it would be strange to barge in on them out of nowhere–"

The younger tilted his head. "But you miss them, don't you?"

In a split second the blond quickly stormed into the room, running over and pouncing onto the bed. A gasp escaped the other as he soon realised what he was doing, and despite lifting his hands in a lame attempt to shield himself, he could do nothing when the blond landed right on top of him.

The two struggled, with Taka squirming beneath his boss, as it was quite evident that the latter was so much stronger and more persistent, and that Taka was no match for him. After just a few moments of flailing about and exchanging profanities at the top of their lungs, their struggle finally stopped when the blond cheered, holding his hand high in the air as if proudly revealing the object he had retrieved from the elder's pocket – it was Taka's cell phone.

Taka lay limp, defeated, while Toru looked through the device before flashing the screen at the other's face, displaying its call log. "That is your family's number, isn't it?"

Taka frowned slightly. "Well, I... call them every once in a while..."

"But you told them you'd give up anything to be with them."

"What..." The brunet furrowed his brows, staring at the other man suspiciously – and very quickly his eyes widened once more, a heavy gasp escaping his lips. "You– you were eavesdropping on me!"

"I didn't mean to," Toru admitted, shrugging. "Even if you won't be working for me any more... I still want to do this for you.

"It's like you said, the main reason you ever worked for me is because you didn't want your family to know you came back," he continued. "But at the same time, you want to see them... I figured this should be done."

The blond bent forward and lowered himself, so much so that eventually both their faces were just millimetres apart, their noses almost touching. "Do me a final favour as my personal assistant," he spoke, his cool breath brushing lightly against the other's lips. "And visit your family with me."

Taka stared straight into his eyes, nearly getting lost in them; dark and captivating, and yet, it twinkled with the spirit of his youth, the childish demeanour buried hidden after years of prematurity, but not lost.

Hesitant to speak, Taka pursed his lips and swallowed, knowing full well how warm his face was getting. "...Under one condition."

Toru arched a brow. "And what is that?"

"Please get off of me."

The blond lowered his gaze, trailing down to where their bodies touched. His groin was resting a bit too close to the other's, their intimacy separated only by thin layers of clothing.

He widened his eyes and immediately leapt away from Taka, pushing himself so he fell back and landed hard on the floor below. Taka lifted his head, watching as the blond quickly settled down and averted his gaze, running a hand through his thick locks. "...S-sorry," he muttered, and Taka didn't fail to notice the blush that was just as deep a crimson as his own.

The brunet shook his head sheepishly, himself trying to ignore his own feelings of embarrassment and any inappropriate thoughts that came with them. "...And one more thing," he added, hoping to quickly resume what they'd been discussing in the first place.

"Can we pretend that we just flew in from the States?"

*********

He couldn't believe he was seeing his family so soon.

He stared hard at what limited, blurry reflection he could find upon the elevator's metal walls, and he tried to fix his scarf, his coat, his curls. Even though he was dressed casually, he couldn't help feeling a little conscious of his appearance, especially since this was their first meeting in months.

How would they react when they see him? What should he say? There were so many questions unraveling in his head, he didn't know what to predict; and not to mention, Toru was coming along with him...

It wasn't long before the bell rang indicating they had reached their floor. It was a small apartment building after all. The doors slid open, and slowly the two men began walking down the empty, quiet corridor, the echoes of their footsteps bouncing off the concrete walls. The metal doors lined up beside one another were all closed, emanating a dark and mysterious aura in the building.

They stopped at the second last door down that corridor, bearing the number '35' in gold. Taka breathed, hesitant; what if his family were too inquisitive, asking him why he'd come home suddenly? What if they already knew of his absence back in college; how would he respond to that, then?

He felt a broad hand on his shoulder, squeezing him tightly, and Taka turned to find the blond flashing him an assuring nod, comforting him. Though no words were exchanged, the elder couldn't help feeling a kind of warmth spreading from his chest, and perhaps on his countenance as well, and soon he turned back to face the door with a boosted confidence.

He lifted a fist and knocked hard on the door. "Tadaima!"

For a few moments, nothing happened, and the two stood there in silence, staring at the board of metal before them. Taka was too focused on waiting on the door to notice that his boss had lowered his hand – and just in time, too.

"Taka-chan!" A petite, young lady beamed as she pulled the door open, throwing her arms around the much taller young man as she embraced him in her arms. Behind her, the rest of the family cheered, yelling his name in glee.

The two men were invited into the apartment, and Taka took the time to look around as they did so; their large living room still taking the spotlight of their apartment, with every knick knack and furniture dustless and clean, thanks to his mother. Sure, it had just been a few months, but he was glad and relieved to find that nothing had changed.

Ah, right, he forgot he had brought over a guest.

"Everyone," the brunet spoke, gesturing towards his boss now. "This is my... friend. T-Toru." He gulped. Toru's name felt so foreign on his tongue. It was unsettling and yet, it made him feel as if he'd just moved a step closer to his boss, emotionally.

What was that even supposed to mean? He was just his boss. His soon-to-be former boss. Taka had no right to think about being 'close' to him. Stop it.

Toru stepped forward and gave a slight bow. "Pleasure to meet you," he greeted the family before him. "I am a fellow student who met your son in the States. Upon realising that we share the same roots, we have decided to come home and visit our families together."

Taka cringed; _don't speak so formally, idiot..._

"I bet you come from a well-to-do family." Taka's mother smiled. "Especially since you're dressed like that..." She gestured to Toru's choice of clothing, a tight-fitting blue suit, as if something he'd wear at a formal party. And not to mention, his hair neatly combed backwards again...

"Indeed," Toru nodded. "In fact, I happen to be the son of a very impo–"

"What's for lunch!" Taka barged in, flashing a wide grin as he jumped before the blond. "I'm starving! Did you cook anything?"

His mother was quite easily distracted. "My poor baby– I didn't cook much because I didn't know you were coming!"

"It's okay, we'll have anything!" Taka assured her, and he watched as the lady quickly scurried into the kitchen.

He turned and narrowed his eyes at the blond, who only arched a brow in return. "If you have anything to say about commoner food later, keep it to yourself," the former hissed.

Soon the entire family was seated at the dining table, a tradition in the family that everyone was to eat at the same time. Despite the table's large size, the spread of homemade dishes was still limited and humble, sporting only rice, curry, and stir fried bitter gourd.

Nearly everyone tucked in immediately after saying grace, of course with the elders starting first; but seated beside the blond, Taka couldn't help watching as the former stared at the dishes on the table before him. With his chopsticks he chose a piece of gourd and slowly brought it to his mouth, chewing with a lack of expression, but soon enough he topped his rice with more of the dishes and began to tuck in like everyone else.

Taka subconsciously heaved a sigh of relief, before eating his own food with ease.

"Son," his father called, reaching for some gourd himself. "When are you going to find yourself a girlfriend?" The young man in question choked on his food.

"Onii-chan brought a guy home," one of his younger brothers snickered, his gaze cheeky from behind his thick, bleached locks. "Doesn't that mean something?"

Taka twitched."He's just a _friend_ , Hiro," he hissed, hoping to shut his sibling up lest he offended his boss.

"But didn't you say you guys are visiting together?" his brother Hiro continued to tease. "Doesn't that mean that you two are sharing a room in a hotel or something?"

"There is nothing wrong about that!" the elder raised his voice now, pointing his chopsticks in a threatening manner in his brother's direction, while the latter laughed away.

"Taka-chan, put your chopsticks down. Now," the lady of the house demanded. "Hiro-chan, apologise to your brother this instant."

The two brothers obliged, slowly lowering their gaze, both muttering an apology to each other as they calmed down and returned to their food.

Their mother was quick in returning to her usual, positive demeanour. "Let's not put a damper on our reunion now," she said. "We should all be proud of Taka-chan! He's working so hard to support us, and it's because of him that we're all able to live a happy and easy life."

She turned to her eldest son, beaming. "We're all looking forward to you finishing your studies in the States, so we can be together again!"

Taka seemed hesitant to speak. "A-actually, about that–"

"Imagine how thrilling it would be to be the proud parent of a son who owns at least a bachelor's degree from the States!" his mother raved on. "I can almost picture myself bragging to all the ladies at the market about Taka–"

"Don't get too excited," her spouse laughed, hoping to calm her down. "It's only just been a few months, after all..."

While the older adults spoke and teased each other, Taka could only stare down at his food, with a look of worry on his face – vague, but present, nonetheless. "I...," he began, barely looking up, and the others turned to him, concerned, expecting him to say something.

It took a second, but eventually Taka looked up at them, flashing a grin that reached both his ears. Then, with utmost enthusiasm, he spoke, "I won't disappoint you guys!"

Everyone else at the table grinned back at him, clapping and cheering at his words – everyone, except for Toru. He arched a brow as he watched the rest of the family, each of them clearly oblivious to the young man cheering along with them.

Oblivious to him feigning his happiness and motivation.

After everyone was done with their meals, the dishes were brought to the kitchen for washing, a job left for all three brothers to carry out together. While they swore and threw the sponge and damp cloth at one another, their parents sat in the living room with Toru, all huddled together as if speaking discreetly among themselves.

"I've been dying to know," his mother said, leaning in closer towards the blond. "How is our son doing in college?"

Toru blinked. "Uh... he is doing fine, I suppose..."

The lady heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear...," she breathed. "You know, Taka-chan never mentions anything... "He used to be very expressive, so we all knew when he was happy. And when he wasn't, he made sure we all knew that, too," she giggled, hiding her shy grin behind her hand. "But, ever since we sent him to study in the States, he's been keeping everything to himself... and we realised, we'll never get to know how he's feeling these days." She lowered her gaze, but her sad smile remained. "He has a lot of friends, but he barely confides in them, too...

"Actually, you are the first friend we actually got to see in person!" the lady added quickly, looking up at the young man. "That's why, we hope you can continue being close to our son! Because... he can't keep everything to himself, you know."

Toru pursed his lips, giving a thin smile as he nodded – but only silently, for he couldn't bring himself to say a single word.

"I'm sorry we couldn't stay any longer!" The three immediately scurried to their feet when the voice rang through the room, and they turned to find Taka walking towards them with his brothers.

"My friend has to visit his own family now," he said, darting his eyes to the blond only for a split second, before lowering them apologetically.

His mother shook her head. "Don't be sorry, sweetie. We're just glad to be able to see you again. And your friend!"

"Please give us a call whenever you can," his father reminded him, nodding in his son's direction.

After a few rather long moments of silent weeping and sentimental hugging, they finally said their goodbyes, constantly promising that they would hear from each other soon until the two young men walked to the front door. They gave a final bow, thanking the family for the hospitality, before walking down to the elevator, the faint sound of the metal door slowly and reluctantly closing behind them.

As the two stood in the elevator, neither of them barely said anything at first, only examining the metal walls surrounding them in silence.

"Uh...," Taka began, sheepishly turning his head to the blond, yet his focus was on the buttons on the wall before him. "...Thank you."

"What for?" the other couldn't help asking.

"For letting me see them," the brunet replied quickly. "...And, I'm sorry."

Toru shook his head. "Don't be. They were rather nice." The small smile he had on just seconds earlier was quickly replaced with a concerned frown. "So... are you really leaving?"

A small laughter escaped the brunet's full lips. "Of course," he said. "I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Toru nodded, but he quickly turned away, saying nothing more. And so did Taka.

As the metal doors slid open, the two stepped out, one of them leading the other to his car. With no words being exchanged between them, they quickly got ready to leave, silence and dysphoria hanging ominously in the air that surrounded them as they made their way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello! I hope no one has forgotten about me or this story! ;; I really do apologise, the past few weeks have been extremely rough for me, and it still is! But I am slowly trying to get used to everything so please bear with me!!! I will try to update more often after this!!  
> That being said, I also want to apologise for such a badly written chapter! I still have assignments to complete but I really wanted to update, so here I am stressed and rushing my work at midnight hehe;;  
> This chapter was really slow, and again badly written, I'm so so sorry;;; the next chapter is when the plot finally reveals its roots! Even though they might be small... but still vital, nonetheless!  
>  I don't think I will ever stop apologising for my bad writing in this chapter;;; I still hope you all enjoyed this! Thank you to all who are supporting me!! I love you guys! <3
> 
> And lastly, thank you for reading! Have a great week ahead!


	5. Partners

It must have been the early hours of dawn. The walls, the ceiling, even the sky outside were still dark, with not a single ray of the sun shining on the solemn streets. And yet, all was not completely still; the crickets had gone, and birds were rising one by one, calling and chirping to one another, waking the neighbourhood as they did so.

Taka struggled, but slowly managed to open his eyes. He stared at the ceiling above him, himself completely blanketed with his own bed sheets as he lied on his back. Dazed, he could only stare in silence, wondering what the hell did he wake up so early for. It wasn't like he had a flight to catch right now...

Ah. Realisation slowly hit him when he remembered how important this day was. He even said that he would leave first thing that morning... He felt his heart sinking, so much to his guts to the point he felt like throwing up. He knew he had to leave. And yet, a small part of him wished he didn't.

His ears perked up when he heard a sound coming from downstairs – a loud, deep voice stern enough to bounce through the walls of the house all the way to his room. Taka raised his brows; did the voice wake him up? Whose voice was it, anyway?

He pulled himself out of bed, reaching out for the pullover he had somehow ripped off of himself at some point during the night, and he dressed himself. Cautiously, he stepped out of the room, and while doing so his ears picked up the voice from before – followed by another, similar voice. Taka recognised the latter; it was Toru's.

Aside from the occasional raising of the voices, they mostly remained low and serene, as if discreetly discussing something. Taka couldn't help walking towards the stairs, peering over the railing while he tried to get a better view of the living room.

A short gasp flew past his lips when he found Toru standing in the room – right behind his father.

Why was he here? Were they discussing business matters? But they were being far too quiet for him to hear anything... The brunet proceeded down the stairs, step by step, hoping to catch a word or two from either of them.

_"...I told you, that Takahiro kid is not worth our time..."_

Taka's ears perked up at the mention of his name. That was definitely Toru's father... Ignoring all negative thoughts and feelings, he continued moving downwards, listening intently.

"He is a huge liability not only to you, but to the entire company. I already told you, you should have gotten rid of him the other day."

"He needed a place to stay," Toru explained, raising his voice. "He simply does not want to be a burden to his family–"

"So you are allowing him to be a burden to ours?" There was a pause, with Toru merely lowering his gaze, before his father spoke again, "Is your position in this company not that important to you? Or have you forgotten who I am?

"I could easily throw you out and leave you alone to fend for yourself." The older man gave his son a piercing glare. "And I will make sure you'll never hear from me ever again."

A loud gasp involuntarily escaped his lips and Taka stumbled, losing his footing on the stairs. He came tumbling down the steps, making an entrance into the living room as he landed head first on the floor, the other two simply staring at him, their jaws dropped in awe.

Taka gulped as he quickly brought himself to his feet, brushing the dust off his clothes while he stiffened his posture and faced the men before him. Ignoring the blond's wild look, Taka let out a hesitant, nervous laugh, though on the other hand the older man only narrowed his eyes at him.

Within minutes the three of them were seated on the couches, either staring solemnly at the floor beneath them, or fiddling with their thumbs; the young brunette gulped, feeling the old man's watchful gaze on him.

"...So, Takahiro-kun," – the mention of his name caused the brunette to tense up, – "how is work going for the both of you?"

The other flashed a shaky smile. "It's been going well, I guess..."

But the older man simply arched a brow in amusement and smirked at his words. " _'Going well'_?" he quoted. "Really?"

There was a moment of silence, with Taka staring wide-eyed at the floor now, beating himself over his previous choice of words. He shouldn't have said that, he shouldn't have said that.

"That is what my son said, too," the other added eventually, folding his arms as he took a second to shift his gaze to his son, before returning to the brunet. "But, you see, our statistics show otherwise.

"Ever since someone declared himself absent from the business trip to Singapore, we have been experiencing some... changes," he continued solemnly. "Changes, that... could potentially cause us to lose a lot of money."

Taka widened his eyes at the man, who continued to explain, "An amount of money not even your family, no matter who they are, can afford to compensate."

Taka gulped, wincing at the scratchy, dry sensation he felt at the back of his throat from dehydration. To think that, because of him, because of just one mistake he made that caused his boss to miss his business trip – ultimately leading to the company making financial losses, the brunet couldn't help feeling guilty, feeling that he was completely responsible for these losses. If only he had watched where he was going...

The man leaned forward, his countenance flashing a wide grin with a hint of malice that sent shivers down the young man's spine. "My son and I were just talking about these changes," he said. "And I firmly believe that if we need to counter these changes... then we need to get rid of you."

Taka blinked. "Huh?"

"Takahiro-kun, there is no other way for me to break this to you," the man spoke, his tone grave and serious though his expression remained. "But you are a bane to this company. You are nothing but a threat to _my_ company, and _my_ family.

"We haven't seen such depleting figures until you came into the picture–" a small laugh escaped his lips, "–and I came to the conclusion that all this must be happening because of you. It was you who made my son miss his flight, and that makes you solely responsible for this.

"Therefore," he closed. "After much consideration coming from my son, I have decided that you should make your leave immediately."

The silence this time lasted even longer, with Taka's shaky gaze barely focusing on anything but the man. He couldn't believe the extent of his careless mistakes even came this far. He didn't even know why he couldn't believe it. He was already going to leave anyway, right? He said so himself, that he would leave first thing that morning. And yet, to be officially dismissed... Taka couldn't explain the gaping feeling that had formed in his chest.

And what was he supposed to do? Should he agree to it, and leave to pack his stuff right now? Should he at least show a bit of resistance and beg the man to let him stay? Even though the former was already his original plan... he couldn't bring himself to do it. It hurt just to think about it.

"However," the man added, breaking the silence and catching the brunet's attention once again. "My son here seems to be against the idea."

Taka had no response to that. Toru? Against the idea? What did that mean?

"It is a huge shame. It appears to me that he does not see just how much you are pulling him down." The old man was sneering at Toru now, who throughout the whole ordeal so far had found the floor much more interesting than everything else.

"I am sure you would have loved to see just how pathetic he was when he tried to defend you," the man hissed again. "Giving you intangible praises such as, _'helping to think up of projects to make up for the trip'_." He laughed, the ends of his lips raised to flash a mocking grin. "What other things do you help him with, Takahiro-kun? Do you do his laundry too? Cook his meals for him?

"My son does not understand. He is not in that great a position to begin with, and having you around is only making the situation far worse for him. My son thinks he has a lot of potential, but he does not. At the rate he is going right now, there is still a long way to go before he can see himself on a pedestal like me.

"Too long, in fact." He shook his head. "To be honest, I can never see my son taking over my company with that attitude–"

"Shut up."

The older man quit immediately, tilting his head and arching a brow in a bit of annoyance and amusement. Amused, because, no one had ever spoken to him in that manner before. Because, the person who did, happened to be glaring at him now; his dark eyes clouded with rage, he made no attempt to mask his anger, only grinding his teeth together as if holding himself back from lashing out at him physically.

And even Toru widened his eyes in shock when he saw the scene before him.

"No parent should talk about their child like that," Taka said firmly. "Your son is in many ways far more professional than you will ever be; he's pragmatic, he's generous, and he makes a great leader. Sure he can be selfish sometimes, but at least he's able to consider my feelings and is mature enough to make up for his mistakes!

"I am absolutely confident that my sir will become a better leader and will bring the company an even greater success than you ever will!"

There was a long pause, a determined silence hanging in the air while Taka glared at the other with a frown. Unbeknownst to him, Toru was staring at him too, eyes wide with shock and his lips slightly parted. Taka, of all people, just said all that about him? Did he really think that way? Did he really mean it?

On the other hand the older man simply had his brows arched, his grin only increasingly mocking and lined with even more amusement, and not a single hint of anger or disappointment present on his face. "Really? You think my son is _that_ great?" he snickered, shifting a suspicious gaze towards the blond. "He probably treats you really well, doesn't he.

"I think it is very admirable of you to praise my son that much and actually believe it." Turning back to Taka, his smile did not falter. "Then, Takahiro-kun... I assume you enjoy working with him, then?" Taka blinked at his words, but he spoke on, "Since my son is so great, you must really enjoy being his personal assistant, then?"

Taka was still for a second, as if thinking seriously about the questions thrown at him, before responding, "...Yes."

"So, even if you get dragged into taxing situations and are expected to represent my company for him, you would do it? Because you enjoy working for him?"

The younger gave a firm nod. "Yes."

"You are willing to join this business and work all round the clock, for my company, because you enjoy working for my son?"

"Yes."

And as this went on, the blond in question was only becoming appalled by what he was hearing. Why was Taka saying all that!?

Finally his father gave the questioning a rest, and he leaned back against the couch, his eyes still fixed on the other young man. "Very well, Takahiro-kun...," he said. "I am partially convinced that you will stay loyal to my son... and, my company.

"Let's see what you can accomplish and how much you will benefit me in this next month."

Taka blinked in surprise when the man got to his feet, watching while he straightened his coat and made his way to the door. "As I said before, we are experiencing depleting numbers in the company, as much as I hate to admit it," he said, turning to look at the former. "So I am looking forward to see how you and my son can fix that.

"I will also call for a reliable partner to assist you." He gave a low bow. "It was a pleasure meeting you two today... and I look forward to working with you, Takahiro-kun."

He opened the door and made his leave, and as the wooden door slowly closed behind him, Taka was able to make out a faint image of the man being led to a car by a lady, perhaps his very own assistant, before they finally left the area for good.

Taka took a deep breath – he wasn't even aware that he'd been holding it the entire time. What did he just agree to?

Toru shifted to sit beside him. "Are you... all right?" he enquired, tilting his head.

"Yeah... I think so," Taka nodded, though admittedly he was still quite shaken up by what had happened. He took another deep breath to compose himself.

"...Thank you."

"What for?"

Toru hesitated for a second. "...For saying all those things about me."

The other smiled. "You don't have to thank me for that," he said. "They're all the truth, anyway."

And he believed it. Despite all that Toru had done to him, despite all the things he'd said, Taka was ready to forget about them and completely embrace his praises instead. To him, their bad moments were now nothing but a lie, a mere initial misunderstanding because they couldn't agree with each other's rationale at first. But... why was he so willing to forgive him so easily? Even he wasn't quite sure himself...

And as much as he didn't notice that his boss was staring at him, he was just as oblivious to the blush that was quickly forming on his cheeks.

A fake cough from the other snapped the brunet back to reality, and he turned to find Toru giving a playful smirk himself. "Well, since you said all that about me... I guess now you have to stay and work for me for the whole month."

It came to him slowly, but when the realisation finally hit, it hit him hard.

So that was what he'd agreed to.

Taka, who originally planned to leave that day and return to focus on his studies, was now expected to stay in Japan and help pull his boss out of this rotting financial hole.

Shit.

*********

As the day went on with the sun getting brighter outside, the two young men kept to themselves indoors, seated across from each other at the dining table, both hunched forward and speaking in low voices about... the company.

Taka buried his head in his hands and let out a loud, frustrated groan, but the blond wasn't amused. "Come on, be serious...," he scolded. "This could potentially cost the entire company and every bit of your cooperation would be useful and highly appreciated."

Taka huffed, grabbing a glass of water nearby and taking a massive gulp of the beverage, before slamming it back onto the table with a determined look. "Okay, I'm sorry– let's start over!"

"Right, back to basics... If we are experiencing depleting numbers, it is common sense that we are making a loss somewhere."

"So that means an external party somehow gained access to the company's earnings and stole some money?" Taka suggested. "Like a burglar?"

"Well, that could happen, but not quite," Toru corrected him. "Instead this is the exact opposite; someone is taking advantage of their position and using the company's money for their own personal, selfish use."

"Someone in the company...?" Taka nodded and began scribbling furiously in his notebook, jotting down every single word said by the blond. For a moment, he did seem like a college student, taking notes down studiously during a lecture, no sign showing just how much he actually hated studying.

Taka paused in his writing, tapping the top of his pen lightly against his chin as he furrowed his brows, thinking seriously. "Sir?" he called. "What did... he mean, when he said he was sending a partner over to assist us–"

The loud, sudden sounds of a vehicle engine came roaring into the house, and it came to an abrupt stop just right outside the building. Within seconds footsteps could be heard, followed by violent, repetitive knockings against the wooden door.

Taka flinched slightly in his seat. "A-aren't you going to get that?" he questioned while the knocking continued; he turned just in time to see the blond shaking his head and wincing in disgust.

"Don't bother," he said, pushing a large ring file towards the other now. "We have things far more important to care about."

The knocking stopped, the rapid silence suddenly taking over the atmosphere. Taka shrugged and returned to his notes, proceeding to read from it, "So, if it is someone from the company, then that means–"

_Crash!_ His words were cut off once again, and the brunet could only jump in shock as he turned to the door... only to find that it had been forced open! The door was swinging lightly from the hinges, slowing to a stop as it eventually came to rest against the wall. The sound of a pair of high heels trying to steady themselves, Taka gasped as he watched a tall, slender young lady step in, straightening her bob cut and brushing the dust off her blue blazer.

"You should really update the security in this house," she complained as if she totally didn't just break the door open and casually let herself in. "And how rude can you be? You knew it was me so you ignored me on purpose, didn't you? Is this how you're going to treat your future spouse?"

Behind her, a seemingly older man dressed in a similar outfit followed, pulling along a rather large luggage.

"Shit..." Taka didn't fail to hear the blond mutter under his breath, and he could only look up at the newcomers, eyes wide with worry.

The lady barely paid him any attention, stopping just a distance from the men and folding her arms as she arched a brow expectantly. "Good afternoon, Toru," she greeted almost monotonously. She was, in every way, as professional as Taka imagined a lady in the business would be.

Toru looked up at her with a dark expression. "...Good afternoon, Ayano."

Now Taka turned to him, flashing the latter a look of confusion. His lips shaking, it was near impossible for him to keep his voice to a whisper, "Who's that...?"

Toru gulped, giving the lady one final sneer before turning away. "...My colleague."

"I'm his partner!" the lady corrected immediately.

Ah... Taka was beginning to understand now. This was the partner the old man was referring to... That was great! She was sent over so she could help them think of ideas and assist them in fixing this financial crisis! Taka was getting a little lost and confused, so for a second he was beyond relieved to see her.

But then the lady's words were beginning to play in his head, over and over again like a record begging to be listened to. He didn't need to delve deeper; it forced itself to be noticed, crashing its way through his thoughts, making sure it would be the only thing that Taka came to focus on.

And it was.

He focused on what he thought – no, he was _sure_ – the lady had said earlier.

Future spouse.

She was his partner... and future spouse.

_Spouse._

It took him a while, but Taka finally understood.

"What... the fuck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand introducinggg Nocchi from PERFUME! She will be known as Ayano throughout this entire story.  
> I am once again so so sorry for the late update + replies and I sure hope no one has forgotten about me ;; however I am starting to get the hang of my schedule now and I'm trying not to stress myself out over the smallest things heh. My writing momentum is also back and now that's all I ever want to do! So updates will probably go back to normal!
> 
> I do not have much else to say, except to apologise for such a short and badly written chapter, and again for updating so late...  
> Thank you so much to those who took the time reading and supporting me! I love you guys <3 and have a great weekend!


	6. Oumoto Ayano

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I am sooo sorry for the long absence. A lot of things were happening and I went through a really tough time... I didn't have the motivation to write any more. I didn't have the motivation for anything, and eventually I kind of... stopped obsessing over the band? I still love them and I will continue to write about them, of course! I just don't spend my days checking for their updates or instagram or anything any more. It's a bit too much and too tedious for me.
> 
> Again, I'm really sorry for this. I just hope no one has forgotten about me or this story haha. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

"What... the fuck!?" Toru had a partner? A future spouse? That basically meant a fiancée! But how... and why!?

The lady known as Ayano only narrowed her eyes at the blond, her lips thin with malice. "Get me a drink," she demanded. "It's hot here."

Toru returned the cold gaze, and it wasn't until he got to his feet and stood to face Ayano that Taka realised – holy shit, this lady was just as tall as his boss. Granted her heels added to her height, but even if she took them off, she barely needed to raise her head to meet the blond's gaze.

Toru stared at her for a second, and without wasting another he quickly turned to the kitchen, proceeding to grab a bottle of sweetened tea from the refrigerator and pouring it into the mug. Taka could only blink in confusion, watching him, and he stiffened when he turned to find Ayano staring back at him.

Neither of them said anything for a while, but much to his surprise, the stern look on her face eventually softened to a warm, inviting smile, her expression now as bright and radiant as the rays that seemed to reflect into the room. She outstretched her hand, and with just as much confusion from before, Taka hesitantly reached out and shook it, returning the greeting.

"M-Moriuchi. Takahiro," he muttered, thinking it would be rude not to introduce himself.

Ayano nodded and widened her smile. "Pleasure to meet you, Takahiro," she greeted, her demeanour now free and genial. "I have heard a lot about you."

Before Taka could wonder how she even came to know about him, Toru returned with the tea, passing the mug to the lady. She smiled and thanked him, but the man seemed to be in no mood to entertain her kind gestures.

"So?" He went straight to the point. "Why are you here?"

"Did your boss not tell you?" Ayano tilted her head. "I came here because we are supposed to work together now."

The other feigned ignorance. "On what?"

"You would think the future director would be aware that his own company is making financial losses."

Taka widened his eyes; they were just talking about that a few moments ago! So she was really here to help them after all?

"We are only losing thousands, so it is a small loss – but a loss nonetheless," she continued, as if subtly explaining the details of the situation to the brunet. "And we need to make sure it doesn't get any worse.

"Whoever this person is, they're smart... operating from another country, making subtle moves..."

"We have many of our men working in Singapore," Toru grunted, annoyed as if he knew the lady was insinuating something.

"That is true, but the timing couldn't just be mere coincidence–"

"Mei would _never_ do that! She is a reliable young lady who is loyal to me and has made remarkable achievements for this company!"

Taka pursed his lips; it was odd to see his boss defending his precious former assistant, so much to the point where he even raised his voice.

Ayano arched a brow slowly. "How can you still be so sure? Were you _that_ close to your loyal servants?"

Toru twitched, and nearly choked on his words. "Surely there must be a rival taking advantage of the timing of my trip!"

"We do not have the evidence to determine if that is true." The lady shrugged. "And neither do we have evidence that your assistant is the one taking your money. But right now, it is safe to say that she is our main suspect, and that we all have our eyes on her."

Toru frowned at her, clenching his fists as if trying to hold himself back from lashing out, and thankfully he did – without another word, he made a quick turn and grab for his coat hanging from one of the chairs nearby, and the other two watched as he grabbed his keys and made his leave, slamming the door behind him.

Now Taka was left alone with the lady.

The brunet slowly turned to look at her, again catching her staring at him like before, and he quickly averted his gaze and let out a nervous laugh, unsure of what to say or think about the situation.

"My apologies, you said you are Takahiro... right?" Speaking in a much gentler, effeminate tone now, Ayano smiled at him again. "Come and have a seat with me. I want to know more about my partner's new assistant."

Taka soon found himself sitting on the couch in the living room, his fists clenched loosely on his knees as he tried to maintain a straight posture. He couldn't help staring at the small distance between him and Ayano, sitting beside him while she took a sip of her sweetened tea.

Perhaps if this was just some normal colleague, he would be fine. But to be in the same room, in her presence, to be sitting right beside his boss' future spouse... it was utterly nerve-wrecking, and though Ayano gave him no reason to feel this way, somehow he felt that she was watching and even silently judging him.

"So, Takahiro," she began, leaning forward to place the mug back on the coffee table. "Do you know who I am?"

"You're... the sir's partner," the other said meekly.

Then she burst into laughter, so quickly and casually that it only placed the brunet in fear instead of at ease. "I'm going to get married to that guy, can you believe it? Our parents must be mad!"

She shook her head as her laughter died down, but a wide grin remained on her face. She seemed to wipe a tear off the corner of her eye before turning back to the man, bringing her hand to her chest as she properly introduced herself. "I am Oumoto Ayano," she said. "Daughter of the CEO of Perfume's model agency. And, yes..." This time she nodded, and a laugh escaped her once again. "...I am what you'd call, the future daughter-in-law to the current director of Yamashita Management.

" "If you don't mind me asking...," Taka spoke up, wanting to ask something that hadn't really struck his mind until moments ago. "How come you and my sir are getting... married?"

After taking another sip of her tea, the lady shrugged and easily explained, "You could say it is for business matters. Partnership. Stuff like that. Both our families have arranged for us both to get married."

Taka was appalled; this was 2015! Did such arrangements still exist here in Japan!? One of the most advanced nations in the East Asia region? "Then... that would mean you are getting married to him, even though you have no feelings for him?" Taka couldn't understand why he felt the obligation to ask, why there was even a need to ask in the first place – he just wanted to confirm it.

"Even if I do, Takahiro, I know it is a marriage I will not enjoy," she laughed again, and was quick to change the subject. "Tell me how your job is going so far."

"Uh, it's..."

"How is Toru? Is he treating you right?"

Faint images of their initial encounter flashed in his mind, but Taka did his best to brush them away and disregard them completely. "I... Yeah."

"Really? He treats you well?" Ayano leaned forward, her face just inches from his, and she spoke with a voice reduced to a whisper even though there was no one present to hear them in the first place. "What does he do?"

Taka was unaware that his face had lit up slightly as he recalled his boss' good deeds. "Well, he cooked breakfast for me once–"

"He _cooked_ for you!?" Ayano shrieked in amusement. "Toru did that? I can't imagine!"

Taka was getting confused. He could understand why she said that; he knew his boss was reserved and that he didn't seem like he would cook up a meal for someone else. Even Taka had to admit that he was surprised when he did. But was it really such a big deal to deserve a guffaw from his partner, someone who might or might not know him better than anyone else?

"Tell me more," Ayano pleaded, her hazel eyes twinkling with interest and genuine curiosity.

"Um... Well, he brought me to see my family..."

"Ah, right!" Ayano shot up now, speaking as if she'd just recalled something. "Takahiro, you were studying in the States prior to this, weren't you?"

He nodded.

"I think that is impressive!" Clasping her palms together, she gave a devious smile. "Toru sure has good taste."

Now Taka was getting frustrated more than anything. What the hell was the big deal about his boss treating him well, or about him studying in the States? What the hell was this lady even laughing about? What was so fucking funny!?

"And you're going back to study when your job here is done, I assume?"

Taka nodded again, forcing a blank expression to mask his mild anger. It took him a second, but suddenly his eyes widened; realisation hit him that, if the previous assistant Mei was really the one responsible and had been taking money from them this whole time, then... what would become of him? Would he have to work as a personal assistant forever!?

"That's a shame..." Ayano rested her chin on her fist, pouting slightly but playfully.

"Why is that...?"

Ayano had her lips barely parted to respond when they heard keys clicking from the door. It swung open and they found Toru walking in, a large paper bag clutched in his free hand. Taka recognised that bag from the time the blond had went out to buy... 'groceries'.

Closing the door behind him, Toru moved to the living room, staring at both Taka and Ayano while they stared right back at him.

Then a snicker. "I never thought I'd live to see this day...," Ayano muttered. "Toru is actually buying his own groceries..."

Toru scowled. "I only did it because I need to make dinner."

"Usually Mei does that for you, doesn't she?"

Taka jumped slightly upon hearing those words; this was a personal assistant's job! This was his job! He quickly ran up to the blond and tried to snatch the bag away from him. "Let me do it, Sir!"

Toru frowned, raising his arms so the bag would be too high up for the shorter man's reach. "No, I plan on doing this by myself."

"Are you making dinner for me, too?" Ayano questioned, only to receive another scowl.

"Make it yourself."

"But I am your guest!" she protested.

Still managing to avoid the brunet, Toru brought the bag to the counter, digging a hand into it before fishing out a box of pre-prepared food. The box of instant curry rice.

"That's your dinner," he said, tossing it in her direction. "You're free to use the microwave."

The young lady gave a repulsed look in return. "You're horrid! Is this how you are going to feed your future spouse!?"

She got to her feet, grabbing the box and raising it high above her head as if attempting to throw it at the blond. Toru walked up to her and he too raised a hand, grabbing her wrist while his other hand shielded his face from her helpless blows with her free hand.

She was tough for a supposedly professional young lady.

Taka forced a laugh, suddenly squeezing and stepping himself in between them, as if it was an attempt to get them to stop. "Ma'am," he called, flashing a hesitant smile. "I... That instant curry is meant for me."

The other two froze, pausing to stare at him, looks of surprise and confusion present on their faces.

"What...?"

*********

The three of them were seated at the dining table now, digging into their meals. Both Toru and Ayano were only halfway through their plates, focused on the protein-filled dinner that the former had cooked up.

Across from them, Taka stared at his own plate; empty and completely clean of leftovers; not a single grain of rice, not a single drop of curry to be found. He gave a subtle, defeated sigh at the sight before him; admittedly, he wished he had more to eat. But he wasn't in the position to complain.

"If you are going to be held responsible, let me know," Ayano spoke softly, leaning in closer to the blond. They were discussing the financial crisis again. "If I take a look into your legal structure, I might be able to push to..."

Her voice trailed off when she noticed the cold glare Toru was giving her. "The next person above me," he spoke. "Is my boss. My father."

"Exactly, so we could–"

"Forget it. That's not going to happen." The man frowned and began chewing on a piece of lettuce. "I will just find a way to deal with this myself."

But Ayano kept talking, almost as if persuading him, as if she was _begging_ him to let her help. Taka only rolled his eyes. He couldn't be bothered to listen to their conversation any more; he didn't understand any of it. He couldn't even if he tried. These were all terms and policies that he'd never heard of before in his entire life – and even if he did at some point, he probably hadn't been paying attention.

Heck, he couldn't even pay attention right now – how could he? It was too boring and barely involved him anyway.

And yet, he couldn't deny that a tiny part of him wished that he knew what the other two were talking about. He found that part of him wishing that he understood these business terms better, that he'd paid more attention if they'd been mentioned before prior to his moment. He wondered if the previous assistant Mei understood these terms as well. Did she engage in similar discussions with their boss? Was she really active in working and bringing business to the company as Toru had said?

"I am hitting the sheets right now," Ayano said suddenly, getting to her feet. "See you two tomorrow." She waved them goodbye before walking to the stairs, making her way up to the spare rooms on the second floor.

The men sighed, before proceeding to wash the dishes.

Taka was in charge of the washing while Toru took the role of wiping them dry. There was a long silence at first, both simply minding their own business as if embracing the solemn mood that hung in the atmosphere, so it surprised Taka when he heard the other's voice, "Why did you do that back there?"

Taka blinked, but made no eye contact. "Do what?"

"You know." Toru frowned. "Saying that that instant food was for you."

Now it was Taka's turn to furrow his brows. "But it _was_ for me, wasn't it? I mean, Ma'am is a guest here, and I'm just a personal assistant–"

"You are my personal assistant, which is exactly why you shouldn't be eating that instant food," Toru almost scolded him, his tone stern and rash. "That Ayano... she thinks she can do whatever she wants."

Taka had to admit he didn't quite understand what he meant... but he smiled nonetheless. "That's all right," he said. "I'm living here with you, so..." He felt his guts warming up along with his cheeks as the words rolled off his tongue. "...I can eat your cooking any time I want."

He ran a spoon under the running water, then swore as the hard stream of water splashed against the bowl of the utensil, causing several, harder streams of water splashing out in all directions. Taka tossed the spoon into the sink and as if by instinct he stepped away, staring at the damp mess on his clothes waist down.

All this would seem comical to the blond, but apparently it wasn't – in fact, he was barely conscious of the scene that just unfolded before him. Instead he had his mind focused on something else, on the words that seemed to slip right past the elder's lips just moments before.

"Does that mean... you are staying here? For real?"

"Huh?" The other looked up at him from his clothes, half glad that he'd chosen to wear a black pair of trousers that evening.

"You are serious about staying here... You are staying here, with me?"

It was then that Taka frowned, and momentarily forgot about the dishes, leaving the tap running while he frowned; quiet, as if contemplating over a serious decision. "I... Yeah. I don't know... I guess."

No more words were exchanged, not even so much as a nod to acknowledge his words. Toru simply returned to wiping the plate dry, and as soon as Taka noticed this, he too went back to his chore, making sure to be careful and turn the spoon to its side now, before scrubbing it clean.

*********

"No! Your format for this table is completely wrong. All your calculations are messed up, that is why you can't break even!" Toru smacked the other's head lightly with a file. "Do it again!"

Taka looked up at him, pouting his lips and attempting to imitate a puppy face as he tried to gain at least a bit of sympathy. He brought a hand to his head and rubbed the area where he'd been hit, before finally caving in and giving off a genuine, exasperated sigh. "Give me a break... I'm tired."

Toru's eyes shifted to his phone, and he took notice of the time flashing on its screen. It was getting late... He could see Taka yawning and couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him; honestly, he didn't blame him.

He gathered all their notes and stationery together, before stacking them nicely and pushing them aside to rest at the corner of the coffee table. "Let's call it a day."

"Seriously?" Taka's lips had curled to form a hopeful smile, and despite his exhaustion, there was a twinkle in his eye that only screamed freedom and relief.

"Yeah." The younger nodded. "I am getting tired, too." The two got up, and he led the brunet up the stairs so they could both return to their rooms.

Taka walked towards his room, thinking it odd to find that the door had been left semi-open; he couldn't quite recall if that was how he'd left it this morning... He placed a hand on the wooden door and pushed it gently, taking a step inside. It was dark, but the light coming from the hallway outside had managed to seep into the room, enough to reveal a slim figure sleeping soundly on the bed.

He gasped softly, standing in the doorway while he stared at the sight in shock. Toru had heard him, and had come to stand behind him, but the moment he took a peek inside, he made no attempt to hide his disgust. "That bitch..."

The other laughed, speaking in a whisper, "She must have mistaken this for the guest room."

"No," Toru growled. "She's doing this on purpose."

Taka wanted to ask what he meant, but before he could even speak again, he felt the blond's tight grip on his wrist. He could barely respond when he felt himself being pulled away, dragged down to the end of the hallway to enter another, much bigger room.

"Since that _uncultured swine_ is already fast asleep in your bed," his boss hissed at the mention of the lady. "Tonight, you'll sleep with me." He pulled Taka to stand before him now, and Toru pushed him towards his king-sized bed.

"Hah!?" Taka shrieked in disbelief. "No, it's okay! I can just sleep in one of the guest rooms–"

"Those rooms are reserved strictly for guests _only_ ," the blond responded, his tone harsh and persistent. "You are _not_ a guest, you are my personal assistant."

He pushed the brunet forward again, harder this time – so that Taka lost his footing and fell head first into the thick sheets beneath him.

"And a good personal assistant," Toru continued. "Should always listen to my orders."

Taka gulped; he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, but he didn't know why. He really couldn't bring himself to return fire – and even if he could, he simply had no energy to. Not tonight. He silently obeyed, clutching weakly onto the sheets as he climbed onto the bed, just getting ready for some rest. Getting ready to sleep and engulf himself in darkness, away from the reality of the crisis, even if for a short while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing's going to happen, don't worry. No one will be hurt. Or naked.
> 
> I will try my best to update regularly - every weekend like I used to! However I cannot make any promises that it will be constant, because I still have lots of things to deal with in my personal life, and I might have even lesser time to write next year as I'm being enrolled into a private school. And since this would mean I'd just graduate after 8 months instead of 3 years as is the norm in public school - plus a part-time job - I hope you will understand that I'll be extremely busy with work and stuff... I'm really sorry, but I'll try my best!
> 
> Thank you for sticking with me this whole time! Until next time!


	7. White Noise

The faint lights of the early dawn took rest upon the room, giving it a slight blue hue. The blinds swayed as a breeze came through and accompanied the lights, enveloping whatever it could get its intangible hands on.

The breeze was a sharp one, for Taka had stirred awake due to the cold; he found himself shivering on the bed with absolutely zero protection against the cold. He swore to himself — he really needed to stop that childish habit of kicking the sheets off the bed while he was asleep. His eyes remained closed in a subtle denial that as long as his alarm - or his boss - had forced him to wake up, he still had plenty of time to sleep. He shuddered again, and turned to his other side, blindly reaching out to grab his bed sheets — only to wind his arm around a large, warm, and also tense object instead...

Taka's eyes shot open immediately and he could've sworn his heart skipped a beat or ten. A suppressed gasp nearly choked him as he realized he was only inches away from his boss' face — and whatever he'd just touched was _not_ the bed sheets!

He held his breath and froze, daring not to make a single movement or sound to rouse the blond, and yet his wide eyes remained focus on him for some reason. It was his first time seeing Toru's face up close - not that height had anything to do with it... - but somehow Taka found every little pore and detail really fascinating, as if studying a historical art piece for the first time.

Toru's blond hair was unkempt, much different in contrast to his usual neat hairdo where he had all his hair combed back, exposing more of his face. Taka had only realized now how long his hair actually was; they bounced and swayed at every subtle disturbance, often times lightly brushing against the skin of the blond. But he didn't seem to mind; in fact he probably couldn't feel them since he was still fast asleep. Focusing on his scalp now, Taka could see almost every individual's strand hanging from their roots. He arched his brows in surprise when he saw a slight tinge of brown - or black? - playfully growing out near the roots.  _Huh_... So Toru wasn't a natural blond...

Taka wanted to slap himself. Of course he wasn't; no such person in Japan, especially if they were pure Japanese, had natural blond hair! Even his father's hair was black in color. Obviously Toru had his dyed sometime ago. Yet somehow Taka furrowed his brows in confusion as he tried to picture him in his natural hair color — he'd thought Toru was a true blond because it just seemed so... natural. The color suited him better than anyone else he'd known. It would be weird to see Toru sporting any other color; if Taka had not known that the blonde was artificial, and saw Toru with a darker color, he would have believed the latter to be the dye instead!

His focus shifted to the blond's countenance now, and Taka noted how Toru's expression differed just as much from the one he was used to seeing. For once, instead of the stoic and nonchalant front he usually put up, Toru actually seemed... in peace. Calm, serene — as if there were no troubles in the world.

This was him. This was Yamashita Toru, the man in charge of one of the biggest companies in the nation. Outside of office, he was just like everyone else, just like Taka — someone who looked forward to the end of the day so they could relax and forget about all the problems and the bullshit they were going through. At least that was how Taka lived his life, anyway.

The brunet flinched at the loud repetitive beeping sounds that had played so suddenly, it felt like a knife had pierced through an invisible barrier in the air, breaking the silence. Did Toru really need an alarm that loud? It wasn't until the blond groaned and winced that Taka realized he'd been staring the whole time, and he quickly sat up before the other could open his eyes.

"Wh-where are we!?" he questioned, seemingly alarmed that he had awoken in a foreign place, though he was simply masking his embarrassment.

Toru slowly sat himself up as well, letting out a long, heavy yawn and scratching his head lazily. "My room."

Taka grabbed the nearest pillow and held it up defensively to shield himself. "Wh-wh-what did we do!?"

Toru frowned. "We didn't do anything," he answered briefly, before getting up to dress himself. He switched his sleepwear for a long-sleeved shirt which he left unbuttoned, inadvertently teasing Taka with a slight preview of his bare chest. The elder immediately turned away as he began to put on a pair of trousers over his boxer briefs — not that he'd turned his attention to his groin, anyway...

_Oh my god, shut up._ This was his boss, for god's sake!

Toru left the room and headed downstairs, and the brunet reluctantly followed after. As they descended the stairs into the living room, they spotted the tall young lady sitting on the couch, her attention fixed on her smartphone while she took a sip of her coffee. She was already dressed smartly in a blazer and a pencil skirt, and Taka couldn't help wondering if she even owned any casual outfits at all.

Toru wasted no time in berating her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Looking through the news, what else?" Ayano quipped, not once looking away from the screen. "I'm trying to help you, y'know. Also, I think you were meant to say 'good morning'."

"That's not what I meant. What do you think you're doing, sleeping in my assistant's room last night? You didn't even ask for permission."

She looked up at him now, giving him an exaggerated pout, as if deliberately trying to piss him off. "It's because Mei and I would sleep in the same room when I used to come over, so I got used to it."

Toru rolled his eyes. "Well, Mei isn't here, and Taka works for me, now."

Taka couldn't help feeling tense upon hearing those words, and he knew he couldn't ignore the heat rapidly creeping up to the tip of his ears.  _What the hell was that supposed to mean!?_ ...Well, there really wasn't any context to begin with, so his boss probably meant nothing by that... So what was he getting so worked up for!?

His thoughts were interrupted again as his face was suddenly hit by a cloth of some sorts, and he picked it up to learn that it was another shirt similar to Toru's.

"Get ready," the latter instructed. "We have a meeting to attend."

*********

Taka gulped as he forced himself to keep an upright posture, imitating the potential business partners walking by his sides. It still frightened him how their demeanor could change completely within a short period of time; sure, they were important businessmen and had to be professional at work, but it still seemed as if they had become completely different individuals. Especially for Ayano — the contrast between her quirky, boisterous behavior at home and the fierce front she was putting up now was too much for the brunet to even comprehend. Honestly speaking, he wasn't as pragmatic as he'd liked to admit.

He followed them down a long hall before making a turn, and finally they arrived at one of their biggest conference rooms. Taka widened his eyes; already seated before them were several other employees from various departments, who all seemed almost just as important as Toru and Ayano. _Holy shit,_ this was unlike anything he'd ever seen on television and in the movies — this was a real, serious business meeting!

They kept their gaze on the newcomers as they proceeded to take their seats near the front end of the desk. Taka took his seat in between Toru and Ayano, facing downwards while he tried to keep his cool. He'd done a good job so far maintaining a calm composure, but truthfully, he was screaming and panicking on the inside! What were they going to talk about? Were they expecting him to present something?  _Would he even understand anything!?_

Aside from the occasional greetings and gestures of acknowledgement as a few more people walked in, the room was eerily silent. Most people occupied themselves with their own devices, or were simply flipping through the files they had prepared solely for the meeting. A thick feeling of dread and negative tension loomed over them; it didn't seem like it was going to be a smooth, casual meeting, since everyone had pulled a grim expression on their face. Toru and Ayano, of course, were no exceptions.

While everyone minded their own business, Taka simply sat awkwardly, still staring at the navy carpeted floor below. There was only one empty seat at the very front now, so Taka knew they were all still waiting for one more person; and Taka had a hunch that he knew exactly who they were waiting for...

Toru cleared his throat, causing the brunet to look up at him again. Toru tapped a finger on the surface of the desk, bringing his attention to it. Taka understood the gesture, which was to keep at least a hand on the desk at all times, and he obliged.

Immediately everyone stood up, as did Taka, and they all greeted the director as he walked in. Taka knew the person they'd been waiting for was Toru's father, but that didn't stop his heart from pounding rapidly within his chest, feeling his composure crumbling at his presence.

Everyone took their seats again, and Taka couldn't help noticing a tall, almost plump lady who remained standing near the director. She was dressed just as smartly as anyone else in the room, and in her arms, she carried various documents and even electronic devices, such as a smartphone and a netbook.

At first glance, it seemed like she had on an expression that was identical to her boss', but the longer he examined her countenance, the more he realized it was more emotionless than anything. Was she just tired? Or was she just worn out from working for the old man? He wouldn't be surprised if the director was picky with his personal assistants as well, and would only settle for one who could kiss his bossy ass without so much of a complaint.

Speaking of which, if that lady was his personal assistant, did that mean Taka shouldn't be seated as well? But neither Toru nor Ayano had stopped him from taking a seat... He wanted to smack himself. Of course they wouldn't; this was something a personal assistant should already know!

But he was already in that position, and the meeting would be starting shortly; if he were to correct himself and stand behind his own boss, it would only attract everyone else's attention, and he'd humiliate himself even further — which was an impression he desperately needed to avoid, especially in the presence of some of the most important employees in the company. For now, he could only hope that no one had noticed his mistake and was silently judging him for his own stupidity...

The old man leaned forward in his seat, locking his fingers together over the desk. "Thank you all for your attendance today. I assume you have all read the agenda listed in your emails, so we are aware of what we are here for, yes?" There was a short uncomfortable silence as he scanned the room with a smile before he continued, "But before we begin, I would like to bring your attention to two very special guests who are joining us this morning."

Taka froze as he felt everyone turning in his direction, knowing full well that one of those 'special guests' was him. But what the hell was he supposed to do!?

Luckily, Ayano broke the tension by rising to her feet, confident and prepared to introduce herself — Omouto Ayano, from Perfume's model agency, daughter of the CEO. Exactly how she had introduced herself to Taka, too. The old man decided to chip in some further information.

"Since her father is unable to attend the meeting upon such short notice, Ayano is here on his behalf. This is also another good opportunity for her to observe us first-hand. Of course, she is no stranger to the business world, and her family's company is proof that she is just as capable in achieving success as their own CEO. Perfectly suitable to be my daughter-in-law.

"Thank you, Ayano." He gave a small smile. Ayano bowed once more as she sat back down, with everyone else clapping in acknowledgement. But that didn't last long, however, for the room fell silent once again, and Taka tensed; it was his turn now.

Afraid of wasting any precious time, he immediately shot up, introducing himself loudly after giving a deep bow. "My name is Moriuchi Takahiro, and currently I am Toru-san's personal assistant!"

"A student who'd just returned after his studies in the States, Takahiro will be here to temporarily fill in for the previous assistant, Mei. But I believe he too is capable of making some big and beneficial changes around here."

Taka didn't fail to notice the old man looking at him from the corner of his eye. He smiled like before, but somehow it only made Taka want to cower in fear even further. Was he being sarcastic...? Or was he mocking him after what he'd said the last time they saw each other? Or worse... what if he really meant all that, and that he was only setting expectations that were obviously way too high for him to reach!?

Trying not to show how unfazed he was becoming, Taka managed a small smile and bowed once more. "I look forward to working with you...," he said softly, and let himself sink back into his seat while the others clapped in response.

The director widened his smile. "Now, then. Let us begin."

A plump, rather intimidating man seated nearby spoke up immediately. "Sir, my department were looking through Mei's files and family background, and we have discovered something highly alarming. We think you might be interested to see it."

He passed a file to the director, and the latter wasted no time in flipping through its contents. He was silent the whole time, only nodding occasionally. Aside from the scary man smiling smugly in his seat, everyone else exchanged looks, just as anxious and curious as the other person. What could be in those documents?

"Interesting...," the old man finally spoke as he looked through the final piece of document. "Our company typically looks through our potential employees' personal backgrounds, one of the reasons being to look out for criminal records — this is to ensure that we do not accept former convicts to work among us, so we can maintain our reputation as a credible company. How this important piece of information was completely overlooked is beyond me..." His voice had deepened and resembled a growl as he turned to another employee, a lady positioned just a few seats away.

She bowed slightly, making no attempts to mask the fear from her tiny, shaking frame. "M-my apologies, sir. We failed to check her background thoroughly, and we take full responsibility for this mistake. We will accept the consequences."

The director dismissed her completely, and he turned back to the man from before. "However, Nakamura-san... Her offenses of vandalism and theft of bicycle parts were only committed 15 years ago. I would like to hear how your department finds this information relevant."

The man, now known as Nakamura, nodded confidently. "More often than not, the main reason why anyone would want to get their hands on miscellaneous bicycle parts is to resell them — this could imply that Mei was desperate for money. Similarly, now that she is no longer under proper supervision, she is also well aware that this is the closest she has ever been to acquiring such a huge sum of money..."

The director seemed satisfied. "Very well. I will leave this to your department for further investigation. But do not neglect your original duties as well." He then turned to the lady standing behind him, passing the file to her. "Risa, make about 30 copies of these and pass them to me afterwards." The lady known as Risa nodded and took the documents from him, before stepping back to her original position.

Time seemed to fly effortlessly as the meeting resumed, the team wasting no time in sharing their findings and coming up with speculations and personal opinions.

Halfway down the room, a petite lady who seemed to be the closest to the director in terms of age spoke up, "Our department has been trying to keep a close eye and tracking the culprit's movements. In our latest update, they have caused us yet another loss of four million yen. Our investors are getting concerned and we are on the brink of losing them at this point."

"The numbers are getting bigger...," a man sneered under his breath. "They've got guts."

"Unfortunately, we could not keep our track on them for as long as we'd liked," the lady admitted. "We were able to contact various international banks and requested for them to freeze Mei's account, but losses are still being made. Which leaves us with two choices — either Mei has nothing to do with this, or whoever responsible is using multiple anonymous accounts to carry out their deeds."

"Anonymous accounts?"

"Different identities," another employee clarified.

The older lady nodded. "It is hard to keep track of their bank activity and their movements as a whole if multiple accounts are involved. We have not even identified a single one."

Nakamura rubbed his chin as he pondered, "But wouldn't this mean they knew this was going to happen? If that is the case, then they must have opened those accounts sometime before Toru-san and his assistant were scheduled to fly to Singapore. Let's say the culprit is really Mei after all — it is as if she'd been preparing to commit these crimes for a pretty long time."

_Wait, what?_ Taka furrowed his brows in confusion. What did they mean when they said Mei could have been planning this whole thing? Exactly how much had been part of her plan? If she was doing this because she was no longer under the supervision of her boss, then that meant that she knew Toru would miss the flight. But the reason Toru missed his flight was because he'd bumped into him...

That incident had merely just been a coincidence, right? Surely it couldn't have happened deliberately according to someone's plans.

But why was Toru running late for the flight, anyway? Shouldn't he be seated on board with his assistant by then, especially when they were set to fly off in just a few moments? Did something happen that held him back — and specifically _him_ , because otherwise he would have sent Mei instead? Was that part of the plan, too?

"So my son's absence is of no relevance?" the old man speculated. "Even if he hadn't missed that flight, and had gone to Singapore with Mei, we would still be making all these losses..."

_Or Mei really wasn't the culprit,_ Taka was practically chanting in his mind. Even so, he couldn't help feeling a small sense of hope replacing the dread he'd held on his shoulders this whole time. Even if Mei was responsible... that theory would mean that Toru wasn't entirely in the wrong, either!

But his hopes were quickly replaced with fear within seconds when he felt a sudden vibration buzzing in his pocket.

He widened his eyes. Who could be calling him, and at such an unforgiving time? The meeting went on, but Taka could barely pay attention. He was trying his best to ignore the call, but the vibration was too persistent, and it was getting annoying...

The only other people who weren't oblivious to his dilemma were the people seated beside him — Toru and Ayano. At such close proximity, they could make out the faint sound of the phone vibrating against his lap, and they tried to ignore it as well.

Taka turned slightly to meet Toru's gaze, giving him a small apologetic look. It wasn't like he could do anything about it!

"Takahiro, is there a problem?" the old man questioned, having noticed a slight disturbance coming from his way.

Taka froze, quickly realizing that all eyes were on him once again; surely they'd have noticed by now just how red his face was and how wide his eyes had become.

"N-not at all, sir," Taka muttered and managed a weak smile. "I apologize..."

The meeting went on; now a young lady - perhaps even as young as the brunet - contributed to their discussion, "But sir, if we decide to bring the culprit to trial, without a doubt it will leave a bad impression on our company and ruin our image even further..."

"As if it hadn't been ruined enough," the director quipped, rolling his eyes subtly. Poor old man was slowly losing his patience, and the stress and effect the situation had on him were beginning to seep through the cracks. Perhaps he should have listened to his own children and agreed to retire a couple years ago...

Taka was able to concentrate at last; not as focused as he'd liked, but a little concentration was better than none. He was so out of it before that he had no idea where this discussion was going - when did they start talking about bringing the culprit to court!? - but it sounded important, and his conscience decided this wasn't something he could simply ignore.

The vibration in his pocket had come to a halt as well, and Taka inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. Whoever was trying to reach him just moments ago must have given up...

...Or not.

Only a split second had passed before his phone began vibrating again. It caught him by surprise, causing him to gasp and flinch in his seat. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but somehow this time it felt stronger, much more persistent. It was probably the same person who'd tried to call before... but who could it be? No one else knew he was in Japan, and even his family believed that he had gone back to the States to continue his studies. To call him again in such a short amount of time... whatever this person had to say, it'd better be important!

"Takahiro, are you sure we do not have a problem here?" the old man questioned once more, his smile more threatening than anything.

"Uh, actually..." Taka couldn't care less about the situation he was in any more; if he had to face the worst consequences this place had to offer, then so be it! Feeling everyone's strong gaze on him - Toru's and Ayano's included - he took it in stride and shot up to his feet.

"I apologize for interrupting, but right now I have a very important call to attend to. Please excuse me!" He gave a final bow, and then bolted out of the conference room.

Screw walking quietly down the hall to avoid disrupting the other employees! He was now jogging to the nearest lavatory, not once minding the sounds of his own feet stomping hard on the carpeted floor below.

The phone had stopped vibrating the moment he stepped inside, however. Taka could only lean his back against the door and let out a long sigh — whether it was out of fear or relief, he didn't know.

His moment of peace didn't last; very soon he felt something hard weighing down against the door, pushing it open. Taka's small frame gave in and he stumbled forward, letting the newcomer in. _Great,_ now some guy had come to pee, and Taka was being a creep loitering around and panting heavily.

"Is everything all right?"

Taka furrowed his brows and looked up at the voice, surprised to find the tall blond staring back at him. The elder shot upright once again. "S-sir, the meeting..."

Toru waved him off. "I told them I needed to be excused as well. You're more important, after all."

Taka blinked, but refused to comment any further. In a lame attempt to hide the faint blush on his cheeks, he grabbed his phone, looking at the screen flashing his notifications. He had missed two incoming calls from the same person, and the caller ID was identified as...

...'Father'.

_Father?_ What was that old guy calling him for? A couple of reasons began revolving around in his mind — he didn't know which he preferred; that he could be in trouble, or that something had happened to his family. Was his mother all right...?

Toru had moved to stand behind the shorter too, hoping to catch a glimpse of his caller ID. But upon reading it himself, he couldn't help but turn to Taka, a prominent expression of concern and curiosity present on his countenance.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect, for then the phone had begun ringing once more. Again, it was coming from the same number. This sense of urgency was alarming, and it did nothing but manifest even more fear within the young men.

"You should probably take that," Toru spoke, and the other nodded. The calls were just going to keep coming and coming until he responded. And what if something had really happened to his family after all? What if the person on the other line was not his father, but a much younger man claiming to be... a police officer? Or a paramedic!?

He berated himself, mentally shaking his head to brush aside the heartbreaking thoughts. With one final breath to brace himself for the worst, he finally answered the call. Third time was the charm, after all. "...H-hello...?"

"Son."

Taka's heart skipped a beat. That deep, almost growling voice couldn't have belonged to anyone else he knew. Without a doubt, it was indeed his old man.

He didn't know if he should be relieved or terrified.

"How are things over there?"

Taka forced a laugh. "Th-they're fine, I guess. Just a little busy, that's all... You even called me in the middle of an important lecture—"

"Come home. Now," the man demanded, completely dismissing his son's words knowing they were complete bull. "I know where you are."

Taka was beginning to panic now, as if he wasn't already. "Y-you do...?"

"We received an email from your college this morning. They said... that you haven't been attending any classes for quite a while now."

The young man gulped, saying nothing.

"So tell me the truth... what are you _really_ doing?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I have come back from the dead! *shoots confetti fireworks* A lot of things have happened, but I feel a lot more comfortable to share it with you guys right now, so here goes! Please don't think of it as an excuse for me updating at a snail's pace; I just thought you all deserve to know because I keep making you wait, and I can only hope that you will understand, even if only a little. ;;  
> Anyway, I'm gonna make it really short. About a couple weeks before my first semester in private school began, we found out that my dad had stopped working out of the blue. He always had some illness related to his eyes, but over the years it never got better, so I guess now he's deemed unfit to work. From a teacher to a man now doing miscellaneous odd jobs, it's really a huge blow to our financial status. We were worried that we wouldn't be able to afford private school in the long run, so I had to withdraw... and now I'm just working to support myself and my family. I might even consider opening drawing commissions soon. Also now I take acting classes for fun because it helps me relieve some of my stress. c':
> 
> So, my schedule is pretty tight. I kept wanting to update but I couldn't find the energy to switch the laptop on and begin writing, even if I had the free time. But, even during this hiatus, I still received kudos for both my writings, and some lovely comments from readers who are also anticipating an update, and it really boosted my morale and gave me the extra push I needed to motivate myself to continue! So, I want to thank every single one of my readers, old and new; you guys are the best and I honestly wouldn't know where I'd be without you. I love you all! <3
> 
> ((also at the moment I'm writing an original story and I was wondering if I should publish it somewhere but it's like your typical shoujo manga story with the japanese high school and stuff HAHAHAHA ;;;;;))  
> Again, can't promise regular updates. But oddly enough I have more free time and I feel less overwhelmed now than when I was still studying. So I shall try my best!  
> This author's note is long enough to be another chapter orz. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and will stick around for the next one! Thanks so much for reading, I love you all! <3


	8. In Too Deep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive me for any mistakes, inconsistencies, or drop in quality in this chapter — I didn't have the chance to proofread, but maybe when I'm free I'll return and fix any mistakes!
> 
> I also forgot to mention in the previous chapter — if you hadn't noticed by now, my style of writing has changed (e.g. from 'stylised' to 'stylized'). I had to get used to writing in this style to ready myself for private school... buuuttt then I had to withdraw, and this style has been stuck with me ever since.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
> Thanks so much everyone for reading and commenting and supporting me in general! I couldn't have gotten this far if it weren't for you guys. I love you! ;; v ;; <3 Enjoy the rest of the week!

There was a heavy silent atmosphere among the Moriuchi family as they all sat together in the living room. They finally got their reunion again, but this wasn't exactly how they had envisioned it. No matter how much they had to say, they had to hold back their own words, more so out of fear and awkwardness than anything.

No one said anything for a long time. Taka sat alone on the couch, facing his family seated just across from him. It was his first time in years seeing his brothers frowning with an awkward demeanor, and it seemed as if they didn't even want to be there. His mother had her face buried in her hands, and that  _hurt_  — he knew she was far too ashamed to even look at him.

His father was the bold one; no matter how Taka tried, he couldn't escape from his old man's harsh gaze. It didn't matter if he shifted in his seat or just fiddled with his fingers to help with his anxiety, it still felt like the man was watching his every move, and judging every fiber of his being.

Taka's voice was a little more than a croak as he parted his dry lips to speak up, "...I-I can explain..."

"What's there to explain?" his father quipped. "Is there something you're not telling us?

"Why did you stop attending class? Are you not used to this kind of lifestyle? Do you not like studying in the States? If that's the case, then you should've told us; we can arrange for you to study somewhere else—"

He was starting to sound flustered and impatient, and Taka waved his hands defensively. "No, dad, please, it's not that—"

"Then what is it!?" The others flinched in their seats when the older man raised his voice.

The brunet gulped and pursed his lips, turning to the ground to avert his gaze from his father, from the rest of his family. "It's just... not for me." He looked up to find them staring at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. "Over there, all my friends ever do is drink and party. I wanted to fit in, so I did the same..."

His parents were appalled. Despite how rowdy or energetic he could be, they never expected Taka to be sucked into the partying lifestyle.

"It was fun at first, but... after some time, I got bored." Taka slouched. "But I can't just leave them hanging, because those were the only times I could actually spend time with them. In college, everyone's busy with their studies, and while I'm still trying to catch up with the rest of my peers, they'd be busy with their part-time jobs. It's difficult to balance a social life with my studies, y'know..."

He let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his thick curls that were slightly damp from his sweat. "In the first place, I'm not even that good at studying! And neither do I want to do it..."

The old man twitched. "So you're saying that you don't wish to study any more?"

_I never wanted to in the first place,_ Taka thought, but maintained his silence. It didn't matter, anyway, because to everyone else, his silence was enough for a response and only proved his father's claim.

"And if we  _do_ withdraw you from your college, what'll happen after that?" he berated. "Where will you go? What will you do for the rest of your life?"

"I..."

"If you come back and decide to stay with us and study here instead, our friends and relatives will start to notice. Everyone will soon learn that you're a dropout. All that traveling and studying you did ended up being eight months of nothing!

"What will people think of us, then? Don't you know how this could affect our family? Don't you have any idea how hurt and embarrassed your mother would feel?"

Taka turned to her, who still had her gaze fixed on the laminated flooring below, her hands now occupied with massaging her temples. The young man couldn't deny the intense guilt that seemed to be eating him from the inside; he had no one to blame but himself. He couldn't bear the thought of him being solely responsible for her misery; what kind of son would do that to his own mother?

"So...?" Father arched a brow questioningly. "What have you been doing these days?"

"I've... been living alone," he lied.

"So living with us is not possible now?"

Taka furrowed his brows; where did he get that idea? "N-no! I just... didn't want you guys to know..." He wanted to correct them, but the more he tried to explain, the less convincing his words became.

"Takahiro," the man called threateningly now, demanding an answer. "Are we not that important to you?"

The brunet widened his eyes. "No, I—"

"I think... you need a break from us, to think about what you've done, and reflect on your actions."

"Wait—"

"And we need a break from you too, so we can figure out how we'll progress together as a family now that you no longer wish to support us."

"I didn't say that!" Taka retaliated. _What kind of wild assumption was this...?_

"Dear... are you thinking of kicking him out...?" His mother's voice was hoarse and nearly as silent as a whisper; it sounded like she was trying to hold something back... like tears.

The younger brothers shot up immediately. "If that's true, then can I have his room, too?" Hiro asked. "I need a separate room for my band equipment, after all..."

The other brother Tomo, who was bigger in size and sported dark and naturally unkempt hair, nudged his side. "Shh, that's not nice..."

"But it's not like he's using it any more," Hiro replied blankly. "I don't know why we still keep it even after he left a long time ago."

As these words played in his mind, Taka's heart fragmented into dozens of tiny pieces, each piece sharp and rigid like glass shards cracking under pressure. He couldn't help feeling enraged. "You can't kick me out," he spat. "I'm your son."

"A son who is not proud of even his  _own_ family," his father countered immediately, his voice raising with every word. "How can anyone be proud to have a son like—"

_Bam_ _!_ The sound of their metal door slamming shut caught them all by surprise, causing them to jump in their seats. Admittedly they were a little intimidated; the entire family was here, so who could it be? Was there an intruder in the apartment? Or were they being too loud and angered one of the neighbors?

They turned cautiously to face the door, slightly holding their breaths in anticipation... and quickly a croaked gasp fell out of Taka's lips. The entire family were all equally puzzled.

"S— To—ru...?" Taka breathed.

Indeed, just inches from the door was a large and tall figure sporting blonde hair, dressed in his navy blue suit... and lying face down on the floor in a clumsy position. Taka wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry; it was very much reminiscent of the time he'd eavesdropped on Toru and his father, when he'd fallen down the stairs...

Wait...  _Eavesdropped...?_

The blond quickly brought himself to his feet, flattening his clothes and combing his hair back. He kept a stoic expression, though no one failed to notice that his cheeks were slightly flushed, embarrassed by his own grand - and failed - entrance.

Tomo furrowed his brows. "Who's this weirdo?"

"It's onii-chan's boyfriend that came the other day, remember?" Hiro snickered, but the two brothers only cowered and laughed nervously as their mother sent a piercing glare in their direction.

Father narrowed his eyes at the uninvited guest. "Have you been spying on us this whole time?"

Toru cleared his throat, returning to his cool and professional demeanor. "It is only natural; I am just looking out for Takahiro—"

" _Looking out for him?_ " the old man spat with a hint of disgust, before laughing. "So, are you two dating after all? First, my son betrayed his family, and now he's seeing a man?"

"Sir, allow me to explain your son's situation to you and your family," Toru spoke, holding up a hand as if to silence the old man - and possibly Taka - from interrupting any further.

Admittedly, Taka couldn't help feeling touched; to think that Toru was actually standing up for him...

"When your son flew back from the States not too long ago, I found him at the airport looking lost and worried..."

Taka frowned.  _Never mind._

"I learnt of his dilemma and decided to take him in. All this while, he has been living in my residence, under a mutual agreement that he would work for me as a personal assistant."

The old man laughed again as he turned back to his son. "...Is this a joke?"

Toru took offense to his words and twitched. "Sir, do you have any idea who I am—"

"It's true," Taka said simply, earning a pause from the blond — but most of all, his family's full attention. "This whole time, I've really been here... in Japan. Working for Toru... No, working for my sir, and his company."

His father slowly stood from the couch, inching closer towards the blond with his arms crossed. "And what you make my son do, as your personal assistant...? Does he have to follow your orders without question? Do you get him to  _satisfy_ your needs—"

"Sir, I'll have you know that I am in charge of the largest management company in this region," Toru snapped. "I can assure you there is nothing  _immoral_ going on within our walls—"

_"Enough!"_

All wide eyes were on Taka now, who had his fists clenched and his face a bold crimson from both anger and humiliation. "Can we all just stop fighting and yelling at each other!?" he berated. "I can't bear to see everyone like this; we're all hurting Mom!"

Sure enough, the petite lady had turned away from the scene, her back facing them while she wept into her hands. The younger brothers stood by her side, patting her back gently; even though they had absolutely nothing to do with the current situation, they felt just as guilty as everyone else.

Finally, the old man sighed in defeat, and his expression softened; he couldn't bear to see his wife like that... He didn't want to be the reason for her tears. He too turned so his back would face the young men, and he spoke in a soft, gentle, but still solemn manner, "...Just leave, both of you.

"I already said so earlier... We need a break from all this. I need a break from this.  _Your mother_ needs a break from this. So, please... just leave this place."

There came no response.

" _Now,_ " he growled.

Taka tried to speak up, but Toru immediately grabbed his wrist and shot him a disapproving look. Before the elder could break the tight silence in the room, Toru had successfully dragged him out of the place, walking briskly down the corridor and into the elevator.

"...Sir, they're my family. Why did you...?" The brunet was still as stubborn as ever, but his voice was soft and weak and eventually trailed off, gradually allowing the silence and the sounds from the elevator to take over.

"You don't need them right now," Toru said quickly and firmly. Apparently that must have flipped a switch that caused the other's emotions to make a 180.

"How could you say that!? I need them just as much as they need me! I think you—  _mmph...!_ "

Toru had his palm clasped over his lips, silencing him once more. "I think you need to take a moment to calm down, because right now, you have no idea what you're saying."

After a few attempts to flail himself free from his grasp, Taka eventually obliged, admitting to defeat and agreeing not to speak another word. All he wanted more than anything now was to go home and retreat to his room, like he'd always done when he was still a mere, helpless child — but what would home refer to now? Was it his apartment where he'd lived all his life with his family? Or was it Toru's mansion, knowing full well that he was no longer welcome here, and that he'd run out of options?

After a long ride home in silence, they were both back in the mansion. Stepping into the residence now, Taka was quickly greeted with a feeling he'd never experienced before; he still felt like he was just a temporary guest, expecting to pack up and leave at any given time — and yet, the environment comforted him, giving him the impression that he'd been staying in this place his whole life, being kept safe and protected behind these modern walls.

His confusion from the conflict between his emotions must have shown on his countenance, for it worried the blond. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Taka shook his head. "Nah."

Toru sighed halfheartedly. "Fine." He produced a checkbook from under his blazer, and began writing on a blank template. "How much do you want, ten thousand yen? A hundred thousand? Any amount is fine, I'm loaded—"

"That's not what I meant, idiot." Taka couldn't help letting a light laugh escape his lips, and his frown broke into a small grin. Toru grinned with him, relieved to see that smile making its return.

Taka could feel his heart melt at the sight of Toru's own smile; it had a tiny hint of cheekiness and childish pride, a sense of victory from successfully making him laugh. Taka felt touched - for real, this time - and he was grateful to his boss for his attempt to make him feel better.

Feeling his body weighing lighter, he slouched where he stood, tucking his hands in his pockets. He let out a long, heavy sigh, and seemed to stare at nothing in particular, his gaze longing and distant, as if a million thoughts were quickly unraveling in his mind.

"...Image has always been a big thing in my family," he began, and Toru arched a brow in response. "My dad — he's all about achievements and success. So they were really proud of me when I was accepted to study in the States, even though that was more of my dad's work, than anything else."

"You mean you studied all the way there against your will?"

Taka shrugged. "My dad had contacts. Without them, I would've never dreamed of even  _going_ to the States." He laughed briefly. "Come to think of it, I didn't have a problem with it back then... We keep seeing and hearing all kinds of things about the States when we're here, so I was only looking forward to experiencing the lifestyle there... I had no intentions to study in the first place."

There was a short moment of silence as Toru held back his response, so the brunet quickly added, "Anyway, I'm sorry you were dragged into and had to see all that..." He looked up at him shyly — only to avert his gaze immediately when their eyes met. Ignoring his deepening blush, he muttered bashfully, "...Th-that was... nice of you, defending me like that..."

A longer silence followed, and he could feel Toru's gaze fixed on him before he spoke up, "Because... no parent should talk about their child like that."

Taka blinked.

"Remember? You said the exact same thing about my old man the other day." His expression softened. "I apologize, Taka. I assumed you didn't have any problems of your own, and yet I acted and treated you as such..."

The elder shook his head. "You have your own share of problems too, sir." This caring, considerate young man standing before him... Taka could confidently say it this time — this was the real Toru. Having endured that firm and boisterous shell, he was finally able to squeeze his way through the gradually loosening cracks, and could see for himself now what kind of a person Toru really was.

Toru flashed another cheeky grin. "I guess this means you have more reason to work for me now."

Taka arched a brow and played along. "You're just saying that because you enjoy my company, right?"

"What? No way."

"You can't deny I'm a better assistant than your previous one!"

Toru smirked and rolled his eyes. "At least Mei knew the difference between a cab and a limousine!"


	9. Just A Hunch

That morning had not been kind to Taka at all.

He'd awoken earlier than necessary, his mind still clouded from fatigue, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find his way back to his blissful slumber paradise. Though, considering how shitty he was feeling now, it probably wasn't much of a paradise, anyway.

And so for a long time he remained in bed, eyes closed but nowhere closer to falling asleep. At times he caught himself staring blankly at the ceiling above him and asking himself the important questions — how was his family doing? Where would the management company go from here? What should he cook for dinner later?

As the faint rays of the early morning light crept into the room, Taka was greeted by the familiar, repetitive sounds of Toru's alarm. By now he had already gotten used to it - he wasn't much of a light sleeper, but Toru had set it to full volume... - and  _for fuck's sake_ , Taka  _hated_ that sound with every inch of his being. It already ruined his day before it even started. Every. Single. Time.

He groaned, forcing himself up on the bed, while he let out a long yawn and rubbed his groggy eyes with the back of his hand. He still felt like death, even though he had all that time to wake himself up figuratively and prepare himself for the day... Well, it didn't matter; the sleep he'd missed out on was going to bite him in the ass later, anyway.

His vision now clear, he turned to his side where Toru lay face down, his countenance lost and buried deep into his pillow. He showed no solid reaction to his own deafening alarm. Had it not been for his body rising and falling slowly, Taka would have thought he was dead; how the man was able to breathe and sleep so deeply in that position was beyond him.

Toru's hair was messed up, but quite unnaturally so — most of it was still held firmly by his hair wax from the previous day. But what really got Taka's attention was the blond's current choice - or lack thereof - of sleepwear; the long-sleeved, pearl white button-up that kept him looking smart and professional was now folded and crumpled up beyond salvation as a result of his tossing and turning. Hell, this guy couldn't even wait until he got his blazer off completely; they were still clinging onto him helplessly from the base of his wrists, spread out carelessly over his back.

Taka frowned disapprovingly, knowing that Toru's belt was still strapped on tightly around his trousers; the only thing he'd managed to take off was his necktie, but what difference did it make if he was going to sleep in such a vulnerable and uncomfortable state?

But what was more ridiculous was the  _reason_ why he was even in this state; the memory of Toru coming home late last night was still fresh in Taka's mind. He remembered how sluggish his boss had been and how he couldn't even bring himself to walk up the stairs to his room. Taka learnt one thing from that incident — that no matter how cool and composed Toru seemed to act in the office, he couldn't hold his liquor to save his life.

He reached over the blond and skilfully turned the alarm off with a quick swipe on the phone screen, and at that moment the blond gave a long, lazy groan, his voice muffled into the pillow.

"Oi, wake up," Taka spoke, shaking the blond gently. "You have a meeting today, right?" His response came in the form of another groan. Toru grabbed a second pillow to shield his head, sandwiching himself like a child unwilling to get up for school. Taka rolled his eyes.

"You can't be lazy," he nagged. With a single finger he jabbed the blond's sensitive side, hoping the shock would at least wake him up.

Toru flinched, and in turn blindly tossed the pillow in Taka's direction. Luckily his aim was off and his throw, weak, so Taka barely bat an eyelid at the impact.

He could do nothing more but stare at the blond before him; this guy... Preparing himself to be the future director of the region's biggest management company, reduced to this pathetic state? How hopeless was he...

"...All right, you stay here and rest." The brunet sighed, pulling the bed sheets over his boss. He couldn't help but feel sorry for him; after all, he had to endure the weight of his responsibilities on his own shoulders for most of his life. All that stress and pressure could make a person lose their sanity; no matter who you were or what you did, you would still need to let yourself loose and relax — and this was just the blond's way of doing just that.

"I'll go in your place today, okay?" Toru gave no response, which Taka took as a sign of approval. _That's what his previous assistant would have done as well,_ he thought as he got up to change and leave for the office.

*********

Taka took a deep breath right before the elevator doors opened on his designated floor. This was where the director's office was... so that meant Toru's office was most likely on this floor as well, right? It would be embarrassing if that wasn't the case... but then again, it wouldn't make any sense!

He couldn't help subconsciously looking in through the glass walls as he walked down the narrow path past the various conference rooms — he still didn't have any idea what they did, but it was a little fascinating to see the other managers at work and putting their all in their presentations and discussions. He passed a room where he noticed a team seated with their heads down, while their supervisor stood at the front, face red from rage as he yelled about how his team could never get a damn thing right. Taka was thankful that all he could hear were the faint sounds of the supervisor's voice bouncing off the glass.

In another room Taka spotted the supervisor, a lady who seemed just as young, or even younger, than him — he recognized her from the previous meeting. It was admirable that someone as young as her stood at a spot above her seniors, and how they would listen and do as told without complaint. Well, why would they? The young lady was wise and mature enough not to let her position get to her head; the orders she gave were firm enough to establish her dominance in the team, yet not too bossy to seed any negative emotions in her coworkers. No wonder she was their supervisor.

In another conference room down the hall, a team had just been dismissed. With the door held open, the supervisor bowed as his coworkers did the same and left, one at a time. He was the last to leave after having dismissed everyone.

But the one thing that impressed Taka the most was how several other coworkers didn't hesitate to bow and greet him as he walked down the floor. They were starting to recognize him as a part of the company now, and were treating him with the same respect they had for Toru and the director. The humble brunet could only bow slightly and greet them back; but was this really fair to them? Taka hadn't done anything for the company at all, and here they were, treating him as their superior just because he was Toru's assistant!

He spotted another younger lady - probably still a teen herself - walking down the hall in the opposite direction. In her hands she held a large, empty box, but her petite build made it hard for her to navigate and move around freely. When Taka was finally in her field of vision, she too paused to greet him, "Good morning! Uh...s-senpai...?"

Taka waved it off. "Just Taka is okay," he said, before nodding back as a response to her greeting. "What are you doing with that box?"

"I was told to collect every file and document in Mei-san's office. Orders from the big guy." She gestured to the director's office at the far end of the hall.

But Taka frowned. "Already? But... doesn't this seem like we're really blaming her after all? How can we be sure if she really is the culprit?"

The girl seemed to look around cautiously, making sure no one else was close enough to hear whatever she had to say. Then, she beckoned the man to lean in, and with a pleading smile, she whispered, "I'll tell you more if you do this work for me."

And that was how Taka found himself standing in Mei's room, flipping through countless files and documents before putting them away. Slowly they began to pile up in the box, and Taka was starting to wonder if this single box was enough.

Behind him, the young lady from before spoke while she paced around the room, offering no help at all, "I've always thought that Mei-san was a cunning person under all that professional image."

Taka arched a brow, intrigued. "And why is that?"

The other shrugged. "Just a hunch. I have a knack for these things, y'know."

Walking round the box to face her, Taka began to arrange the contents in the box in alphabetical order. "But, basing your judgement on some gut feeling... That's kinda weak."

"Relax. I think I have evidence." She pointed at a file cabinet in the far corner. "I didn't want to show anyone, but since you're in her place as Toru-san's personal assistant, I suppose it is only necessary that you see this."

The brunet watched as she moved a tiny plastic stool from under the desk and placed it against the cabinet. Despite providing her a boost, she still had to stand on the tip of her toes as she reached for the very top of the cabinet, and pulled out a large, thin envelope. It looked like any other documents that she had in her room, only this one was the only document that was placed to collect dust on the top of a shelf, instead of being filed like the others.

She brushed the dust off as she stepped back onto the carpeted floor. "I saw Mei-san placing this up there on my very first day here," she explained rather casually. "She said all that was inside were a bunch of receipts for some important fundraising transactions. Apparently she kept it up there so no one else would find it, and she even made me promise not to tell, too.

"That was months ago, though. It seemed like she never touched it again after that — or maybe I didn't _catch_ her touching it."

The envelope wasn't sealed, so she easily pulled the flap out and peeked inside. Unable to see much, she dug her tiny hand inside and began to pull out its contents — several long and thin pieces of paper now crushed between her fingers and in her fist, while a few more stray pieces well to the floor.

The lady seemed genuinely surprised as she took a closer look. "Oh... they really are receipts. I guess she was right after all."

As she dug further, Taka took the receipts from her and began to examine them individually; indeed they were receipts, and the first thing he noticed about them was how the bank's name and logo were different from one another, minus the duplicates. The format of the receipts wasn't constant either, and to the young man it was becoming even more apparent that these were transactions made from several bank accounts, under several banks.

The next thing that caught his eye was the sum that had been transferred during the transaction — from one account, she seemed to transfer or withdraw an amount of 200,000 yen. From another, it was 4 million yen. It seemed that each account had their own fixed amount, but why were they ranging from small reasonable sums to large unnecessary ones?

And more importantly, where did she even get all this money? Who was she transferring to?

"Hm? What's this?" The lady furrowed her brows in confusion as she dug out what seemed to be the final piece of paper from the envelope, but unlike the receipts, this one was significantly smaller, and had nothing more than a simple writing on it. "There's a phone number here...?"

Taka snatched the paper from her to see for himself; indeed, handwritten there in red ink was a local phone number. Who could it be...?

The lady gasped, noticing something else. "Hey, there's an address on the other side!"

Taka obediently flipped the paper over, revealing a block of text to form a local address. He read it word for word, trying to see if he was familiar with it, and perhaps then he could go there himself to—

Wait... this address... was getting a bit too familiar...

He read it again - each number, each letter, chanting endlessly in his head. Then he read it again, just to make sure. Were his eyes playing a trick on him? He rubbed his eyes with the back of a hand and read it again. Was his eyesight failing? He brought the paper closer to his face and read it again. Each time he came up with a new excuse to give himself the benefit of the doubt, then he read it again. And again. And again. Over and over again. The voice in his head was screaming every word by now, but no matter how loud, how many times he tried, his brain couldn't register it!

No, _no._ It _could_ register it. He wouldn't be panicking right now if it didn't. His brain just didn't want to register this information — that was it, right?

He couldn't believe what he was seeing, but he was in a state of denial, right?

His panic and discomfort must have shown in his demeanor, for the lady arched a brow and tilted her head, "Taka-san...? What's wrong?"

The brunet gulped hard and for various reasons — to hold back his fear, to calm himself down, to clear his mind and figure out the right words to say.

Finally, he looked up at her, managing a smile. "Le-leave this to me! I should be in charge of this since this involves my sir, after all, and I can't afford to put you in a dangerous position..." Taka knew that if she had stepped forward and told the director about this, instead of commending her for her discovery, he would probably assume she was a part of this scheme as well, and have her fired.

The other seemed uncertain. "Okay, but..."

"Don't worry." Taka gave a reassuring smile. "I'll tell them I found it by accident."

She heaved a small sigh of relief, and bowed. "Thank you, Taka-san. I wish you the best of luck in this!" As the brunet bowed back, she spoke again, but in a much gentler, softer voice now, "Taka-san, I know you'll solve this..."

The young man stood upright and furrowed his brows. "Huh?"

"Just a hunch!" She flashed an almost childish grin, and turned to the exit.

"Wait!" He stopped her just before she could step out the hallway. "What's your name?"

Turning back with one final smile, she replied, "Mayu!"

*********

Taka huffed as he stepped back with his hands on his hips, admiring his work. It took a long time, but he finally managed to clear the office of files and documents; though it didn't seem like much, the room definitely felt brighter, and lighter, now that all that extra weight and burden from work was gone.

Surprisingly, one box really was enough; all the documents were able to fit in just right when stacked and arranged neatly. Safe for the last few documents that he had to squeeze in, the rest of the cleaning went like a breeze. Now that it was over, the only thing left was to put that box away. But where, or to whom, should he give it to?

Forget that; how was he supposed to carry this in the first place!?

And so in a few moments Taka was wobbling down the hall, struggling to even straighten his back with the heavy box weighing him down. Holding it in front of him with his hands was the only way he could actually lift it, but there was another problem — it blocked his view.

Taka kept taking clumsy, baby steps, muttering apologies every second, hoping that whoever was in front took notice and stepped aside to give way. Several other coworkers were amused - the sight of someone as small as him struggling to carry the large box, was oddly similar to that of a toddler trying to be independent - and though they wished they could help, they knew their own duties were more of a priority. Besides, this was the most work Taka had done ever since he'd first stepped into this building — if he was going to work here, even if only for a short while, then they couldn't afford to pamper him.

"Taka? Is that you?"

Taka jumped in surprise at the familiar but sudden deep voice, and he had to manually turn to his side to see who it was. For some reason, seeing the tall figure standing before him was a huge surprise. "S-sir! What are you doing here!?"

"I work here...?" Toru furrowed his brows. "What are you doing with that box? What's in there?"

"Oh, uh... I was told to pack all her files and documents...?" Taka averted his gaze sheepishly, somewhat afraid of how Toru would react. Even if it was an order from the director like Mayu said, was it allowed? Was Toru going to be mad about it?

"Let me carry that for you, then." Toru's calm and casual response came as another surprise to the elder. "I'll keep these documents in my office."

"No, wait—" Taka tried to refuse, but Toru was a second quicker, and by then already had his hands on the box.

His large, firm hands brushed against the other's smaller, softer ones, and Taka could've sworn his heart skipped a beat. The accidental but personal contact had caused him to freeze in his spot, though his cheeks were nowhere near freezing. He just touched Toru's hands... or rather, Toru touched his... And it felt so gentle, so warm and welcoming, like it was teasing the brunet and beckoning him to come for more.

The brunet clenched his fists in an attempt to snap himself out of his thoughts — and at that moment, he also realized that the box had already been taken away from him.

Toru smirked, the box in his hands now. There was no sign of struggle; it seemed as if this weighed nothing at all to him. "Let's go," he said, and turned to walk back to his office.

Taka gulped and followed slowly behind, keeping a small distance between them. Facing the floor as they walked, he knew the blush was still prominent on his cheeks, but if he kept silent like this, Toru was bound to ask if something was wrong. And there was no way Taka was going to explain that!

"Uh, sir...?" Taka called sheepishly. "How are you feeling now...?"

Toru laughed; he knew exactly what the smaller was referring to. "If you're worried about last night, don't. I'm fine. Hangovers happen often after a night of drinking with your clients, so I'm used to it."

Taka snapped up at him, eyes wide in disbelief. "Wha- _Used_ to it!?" Forgetting about the incident from earlier, he rushed forward to make his disapproval known. "Sir, this isn't something you should get used to! You're going to take over this company soon, and even if you have to drink with clients, this kind of behavior still isn't acceptable! You should take a few sips and stop there; who knows what you could've done or agreed to if you're not conscious when you're drunk!?"

He had nagged all the way down the hall, even until they had reached Toru's office. As he went on and on, the blond could only give a smug smile; it was rather amusing to see Taka getting so worked up over something so trivial. To be reprimanded like this, it was as if Taka was the superior instead.

"Ah, it is rare to see an assistant lecturing his boss around here," an amused, friendly voice interrupted their one-sided quarrel, and the two young men turned to find another, older man standing in the doorway. He bowed. "My apologies, am I interrupting?"

Toru shook his head. "Not at all. Is there something you need?"

"Ah, sir, about the meeting we had earlier... My team and I have made a decision together..." He gave a small, worrying smile. "We thought you might rather do this yourself than have someone else do it, so... perhaps it is better if you go instead of me? After all, you are more familiar with Mei-san and her family, than any of us, is that right, sir?"

Toru was silent, contemplating his options. Beside him, Taka couldn't help but frown; what were they talking about...?

It was only a second later when Toru finally responded. "Very well, I will go immediately." He bowed. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity." With a bow in return, the man turned and walked out of the office, leaving him alone with the brunet once again.

"Sir...?" Taka asked cautiously. "What was that all about? Where do you have to go to?"

Toru replied briefly, "Mei's house."

Taka gasped, "Eh!? What for?"

"To visit her family."

*********

It wasn't too far away, so the men quickly found themselves stepping out of the car and walking into an old apartment building. The blue paint was fading and stains from years of rain littered the exterior walls. It was one of the older buildings, standing at only four floors high, with the grilled windows and railings showing early signs of rust.

Even the lobby was seemed dark and depressing; the only sign of life there was the guard sitting in his post, an old man who seemed to enjoy his boredom more than anything else. With a quick nod, he watched through narrowed eyes as the younger men stood back and waited for the large elevator doors to close in.

Finally alone together, Taka was able to say the first thing that came to mind when he saw the building for the first time, "Y'know, for someone working under your company, it's kinda shocking to see that she's still living here with her family." He wasn't wrong in making this observation, though; this looked like the kind of place low-income families would live in.

Toru shrugged; despite having worked with Mei and coming over a few times before, even he didn't know the answer to that mystery. "Maybe she's just humble," he muttered. Which wasn't wrong.

A faint chime played when the elevator came to a slow, nauseating stop, and the doors opened to slowly reveal a dark and creepy hallway, illuminated only slightly by the tiny bulbs above. Like the rest of the building, that floor housed only four apartments, with two on either side, the metal doors arranged alternately.

Taka followed his boss to one of the doors, fixing his tie and hair as the taller knocked firmly, but quietly. They stood there for almost a whole minute before the door opened slightly, bound to the wall with a chain lock. Through the gap, Taka spotted a much older lady peering out; he couldn't see much, but she seemed rather pale and sickly...

The lady took only one look at the blond before gasping, after which she undid the chain lock and opened the door even wider. "Hey, fancy seeing you here...," she spoke gently, though in a dialect that sounded otherwise. It was perhaps even bolder than Toru's. "Aren't you supposed to be on that business trip or something?"

Toru shook his head. "There have been some... unforeseen circumstances."

"And my sister?"

Toru cringed. "Right, about that..."

Knowing this was going to take a while, the lady stepped aside and allowed the men in, and before he knew it, Taka was now seated on the couch next to Toru, the lady seated across from them.

"We gotta be quiet," she told them. "The kids are sleeping."

With that in mind, the discussion began, although it was Toru who did most of the talking. First he introduced the lady to Taka — her name was Mio, and she happened to be Mei's elder sister. A single, unwed mother of five, she was unemployed, spending most of her time looking after her children and the apartment — making Mei the sole breadwinner.

Then Toru began explaining to her about their current situation, right from the beginning to where they stood right now. He kept no information from her, making sure she knew every side of the story, making sure she knew about the company losses, about her sister being framed, and about why they were even here in the first place.

When he was done, Mio's only response was to lean back against her seat and stare blankly at them. There was a lot to take in, after all. "So, you're saying... my sister is doing all that by herself?" Her tone played along the frontier between confusion and outrage.

"Calm down, Mio-san... We are not going to take any action against you or your sister until further investigation. We are not cops, y'know." He arched a brow questioningly. "Think of this in a way where everyone here is a suspect; your sister, my assistant, myself, and yourself. Now, is there any reason why Mei-san would need such large amounts of money?"

Mio shook her head. "Not at all."

As they spoke, Taka couldn't help letting his eyes wander and observe his surroundings. From where he sat, he caught a glimpse of the only bedroom down the corner, its door closed loosely, leaving a gap for him to see through. Taka squinted his eyes; he could make out a few bunk beds, presumably occupied by the sleeping children. He wouldn't be surprised if Mei and her family really did need that much money, though; this was an old, tiny apartment in general, with only a single bedroom. It wasn't uncommon, but it also wasn't right for a family of five young children and two adults to share just one tiny roof.

"We may be living like this, but we're actually pretty well-off now, thanks to you," Mio continued, and Toru bowed humbly in response. "Whatever money my sister earns now — we try to put as much as we can aside. We're saving up to buy a house of our own, y'know."

Toru and Taka nodded at the pleasant news, but Mio only frowned and lowered her gaze. "I bet you can tell by now, that I'm a pretty terrible person; I had all these kids out of wedlock, with no one to care for me or care for them with me. At first, at least my sister was kind enough to let me and my firstborn stay with her, yet I still slept around with a bunch of street rats and kept adding to her burden.

"But she never once blamed or got mad at me; she'd always smile and just put up with my bullshit, and then carry on with her day like it's nothing." She gave a sad smile. "That's why, ever since you took her in, we've made plans to get our very own property. And mind you, the money we've had up to this point were all taken from her salary every month. So I don't think she's even capable of doing those things you mentioned.

"You know how selfless she can get, always putting others before herself," she finished, and Toru nodded again. Having worked with Mei, he'd seen and experienced firsthand just how easy it was for her to take pity on anyone, and she always tried to do more than she could afford to help, even if they were strangers.

But despite that long explanation, Taka still craved the answer to just one question. "Is it true that she stole some bicycle parts 15 years ago?" Toru turned to him with wide eyes, surprised that he even remembered and brought it up.

"Oh, yeah, totally!" Mio laughed, for a moment forgetting about her kids sleeping in the bedroom. "Funny story, actually — at that time, we woke up that morning to learn that our Pops had some parts of his bicycle stolen, so because of that, he couldn't go to work. My sister thought it would help if we could borrow someone else's bicycle just for the time being. I was in charge, but we had another sibling who was only over a couple years old, so I barely paid attention to what was going on.

"But she was a wee little thing, y'know, so she couldn't bring an entire bicycle over. So her little smart ass decided to take it apart and bring the parts we were missing instead!" Her face full of life now, Mio laughed harder. "Sure, we got in trouble with the cops and all, but in the end she returned the stolen parts, and the cops agreed to clear her criminal record! But it sucked that our—"

"Wait," Toru and Taka spoke in unison, interrupting her. Now they were the ones with the wide eyes and the pale face. "Her record was cleared!?"

Mio furrowed her brows from both confusion and annoyance. "Uh, _duh?_ Why would they charge an innocent child?"

The two men turned to each other and exchanged looks. Alarmed by the words they'd just heard, they thought the same thing; _if that was the case, then how did Nakamura get a hold of this information!?_

Toru turned back to the lady, his expression now grave and somber. "You have told us more than enough. We've come to realize that perhaps the problem might have more to do with our company, than your sister."

Getting to their feet, they gave her a low bow. "Thank you for opening up to us, Mio-san," Toru said quickly. "And, forgive us for the sudden intrusion. We will definitely get to the bottom of this and eliminate Mei-san as a suspect."

They turned to leave, but paused in their tracks when Mio cried out instead, "Wait!

"This... this probably sounds really stupid," she muttered as she returned their impatient gaze with a sheepish one. "I-it's just a hunch, but... somehow, I get this weird feeling that she's still here, in Japan, probably hiding somewhere..." She shook her head. "Even if she really _is_ in Singapore right now... there's something else that's connected to her, and it's still here with us... I just know it."

Toru could only blink in her direction, puzzled by her words and what she'd meant by them. But just as he parted his lips to tell her that everything was going to be fine, Taka leapt forward instead, speaking with a new kind of enthusiasm. "Don't worry, Mio-san, I believe you!"

Mio blinked her eyes unexpectedly. "Y-you do...? Seriously?"

Taka nodded. "I too believe that there's something... or someone... connected directly to her. And I believe— no, I _know_ that, whoever or whatever that is, they'll provide all the answers that we're looking for."

Toru now stared at the brunet. For someone who didn't know a single thing about the company and his previous assistant... he sure spoke with unmistakable confidence and determination. Was it just the rush of adrenaline after discovering the truth about Mei's past? Or... did Taka know something he didn't?

But he couldn't afford to waste any more time questioning himself. Quickly shoving that nagging thought to the back of his mind, he gave yet another firm nod to the lady. "Like I said... we will definitely get to the bottom of this." And, with a large grin and a bow to express her gratitude, Mio watched as the men hurried down the hall and into the elevator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! This chapter was pretty tough to write, even though I'd been looking forward to write it for a really long time! What's gonna happen? Where is this going!? Who knooooooows.  
> Mio and Mayu aren't real people, by the way, just a couple of video game characters heh.
> 
> Ahh, I hope I didn't make you guys wait too long! I really loved reading everyone's comments, they really make my day ((I find myself coming back to read them just to make myself feel better sometimes www ;;)). It really means a lot to me knowing that people are always looking forward to future updates. Life has been rough and busy, but I'll continue to do my best!
> 
> And hey! My friends Anna and Alina are also writing another Toruka fic. I can't spoil anything, but all I can say is... super glue is not a very reliable adhesive to piece your broken heart together. :')) So gogogo and read it!:  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/6353479/chapters/14555134
> 
> It started out initially as a German fic, so this is also a link to the German one, if you prefer it! They're already pretty far ahead! Go support them and scream to them about your feelings!! ;; o ;;  
> http://animexx.onlinewelten.com/fanfiction/345404/?js_back=1
> 
> Finally, I have opened drawing commissions! I don't know if it would interest any of my readers, but it would really help me out if you shared it; I need all the attention I can get! ;; n ;; The link below will redirect you to my tumblr page! Or you can retweet it from my Twitter ((@onepunchsans)) too, it's the pinned tweet!  
> http://onepunchsansart.tumblr.com/post/141899323211/hi-everyone-its-kira-again-i-want-to-thank
> 
> I'm not sure I have any more to say... except that I really look forward to updating even more now. I'd been waiting so long to get to this point of the story!  
> Thank you so much to everyone who read, commented, or left kudos - every little gesture really lifts my spirits and makes me feel really happy. I hope you'll continue your support! I love you guys!! ;; o ;; Thanks again, and until next time! *waves*


	10. Tragic Instinct

Toru was walking at top speed, nearly leaving Taka behind to struggle and catch up. Even as they stepped into the office building, neither of them spared a second to even turn to their coworkers and return their greetings.

"Sir, what does this mean!?" Taka questioned, switching to a light jog even though the taller was walking just fine.

Toru didn't turn to look at him, but replied nonetheless, "I didn't want to say it back at Mio's place, but..." His expression darkened and his tone, firm. "...I'm starting to think there is an ulterior motive behind this."

"Ulterior motive?"

"Think about it, Taka. We both heard her back there — we  _know_ Mei-san would never steal. The incident 15 years ago happened because she was still just a child who came from a low-income family, and didn't know any better. It is only natural for someone like her to want to support her own family, despite how naive she might have been."

"Her record was cleared...," Taka added, and the blond nodded in response.

"Which explains why none of us knew about the incident. The Human Resources Department weren't in the wrong; no matter how thorough her background was checked, they would never find anything that could imply her getting in trouble with the law." He grit his teeth and slammed onto a button in the elevator, the sound of impact ringing through the metal walls. "Whoever did their so-called  _research_ and learnt of her record... must be really desperate to get rid of her."

_And that meant they wanted to get rid of Toru, too..._ Taka could only stare blankly into space as various thoughts and speculations raced through his mind. If the Humans Resources Department really weren't responsible for the disclosure, then that could only mean...

"Nakamura!" Toru growled the second the elevator doors slid open. Taka could barely stop him from storming onto the department floor, and caught up just in time to see the shocked and puzzled looks on his coworkers' faces. Who could blame them? — there was no good reason for someone as important as Toru to barge in unannounced,  _especially_  when he looked this pissed.

"Which one of you is gonna tell me where he's hiding!?" Toru demanded, scanning the floor, but the employees simply hid and cowered behind their monitors, not daring to pass even a glance at the ticking time bomb.

"It's not often you or your father pay us a visit," a voice soon came as the only response, and Toru whipped his head in its direction, knowing exactly to whom it belonged. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of the plump man who walked in, greeting them with a smug smirk on his face.

"What's all the ruckus about?" he questioned, arching a brow, though his smirk stayed to mock his guests.

Toru's glare intensified, but the presence of his assistant reminded him of their current environment. Looking around at the other employees, he managed to calm himself down, but maintained a stern look at the other man. "Let's speak somewhere in private."

Nakamura nodded. "I appreciate your courtesy," he said, before laying out a hand in the direction of a long hallway. "We can discuss this in my office."

He had a strut of confidence as he led them down the hall, showing no sign of intimidation despite feeling Toru's piercing gaze on the back of his neck. Taka simply looked around cautiously, almost like a deer in headlights, unsure of what to do or think of this place. The floor here seemed no different from their floor - conference rooms and personal offices were present all the same - with the only major difference being the volume of manpower. There were more employees in this department and thus the atmosphere here felt a little cramped and even suffocating. Or perhaps this was just Taka's instincts trying to warn him of what lay ahead.

It was no surprise that the head of department would have the biggest office on the floor, but even Taka could tell that it was nowhere as big as the blond's. They were invited to sit on a black leather couch while Nakamura poured them a cup of coffee each. Before the couch stood a small coffee table of the same color, its surface clean and empty safe for a closed but still active laptop placed in its corner.

Taka took this chance to look around; the office was tidy and spotless, and only the wall behind the main work desk was covered with several posters of idols and celebrities, some of which he'd recognized, having seen their promotional advertisements and heard their mainstream sounds nearly everywhere. On the work desk itself was a large desktop that'd been fixed in place, and beside it, a bronze-colored, metallic nameplate, that read,

_'Head of Research and Development Department. Nakamura Kenshin.'_

Setting the drinks on the table, Nakamura too took a sip from his own drink and sat on a couch adjacent to theirs. "So, what brings you here today, Sir?" he began, and though the two men were looking each other straight in the eye, his response only came in the form of silence.

"Uh... We came to see how your department carries out your research and analysis," Taka replied, to the men's surprise — even his. He seemed calmed and prepared, unlike the last time Nakamura had seen him — a fidgeting, nervous wreck who had the audacity to run off in the middle of their meeting. Well, at least he didn't take after his boss, who seemed to think he could halt wars with his face. He was probably too upset to even speak right now.

"Research... _particularly_ on individuals," Taka added.

Nakamura arched a brow. "Well, if this is about the previous assistant..." He shrugged and shook his head. "This is the R&D Department. Research _is_ our thing. So it is only natural for us to have contacts everywhere, for everyone. It's not just sitting down and having a chat with our employees' families and friends over a cup of coffee, you know — we still have contacts among the authorities that have access to—"

"Access to  _what?_ " Toru snapped through gritted teeth.

"Chill..." Nakamura rolled his eyes and continued, "For example, through contract and mutual agreement, we receive information from our associates working in the very headquarters of our national police force—"

"The police force!" Toru got to his feet now and looked down at the other. "So, is that how you gained access to our employees' criminal records?"

But Nakamura barely bat an eyelid. "...I am afraid you'll have to be more specific."

"You found Mei's criminal records from 15 years ago and brought it up at that meeting," Toru explained. "But that is completely unnecessary — you and I know her record was cleared immediately, so it doesn't count. How did you even get a hold of that record, anyway!?"

The plump man simply laughed and took a bigger gulp of his coffee. "I told you already, research is our thing. It is necessary that we do a thorough background check on every single one of the company's affiliates, no?" Smirking again, he crossed his arms and leaned back against his couch. "You gotta admit we do a much better job than those rookies from Human Resources."

Tension was clearly building up within the men in the office, and if Taka was suffocating before, then right now he felt like a fish out of water, fighting for a breath of life even though his fate was clear by now. He didn't like the current exchange between his two superiors, but he was in no position to come between them, either. And admittedly, he was a little more than intimidated by the man known as Nakamura — there was no knowing what else he was capable of.

"...She didn't do it out of ill will...," he muttered, shifting his gaze to the mugs left untouched by him and the blond.

Unfortunately though, Nakamura had heard him. "She did it to earn some money; any intentions beyond that are irrelevant. The main focus here is that she took something that wasn't hers, and that is still against the law.

"Look, if we hadn't exposed that little piece of information, we couldn't have confirmed that she was the culprit, no?"

"Wrong," Toru replied quickly. "We have not yet gathered enough evidence to deem her fully responsible."

Nakamura shrugged. "Whatever. However you look at it, she is still going to be the prime suspect, and most of the investigation will focus on her."

He reached out to his laptop, lifting up the monitor, and began typing at rapid speed. As he typed, his eyes shifted to the brunet, but only for a split second. "You have been awfully quiet, haven't you, Takahiro. Don't you have anything to say?"

Taka jumped slightly in his seat, caught off guard at the mention of his name. "Um..." He lowered his gaze, wanting nothing more than to get out of this situation. "I... I am just here in Mei-san's place, so I can't really say..."

"I wasn't referring to that crook, Takahiro," Nakamura quipped, and Taka looked up at him again. Then, rotating the monitor so the screen would face the young man, he continued, "I was talking about this."

Taka had to squint, and it took a while, but soon enough was able to make out exactly what was displayed onscreen; with white for the main background and several columns colored maroon, followed by the logo at the top of the page, Taka widened his eyes and gasped.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Nakamura continued to taunt him.

"How did you...?" Taka tried to speak, but how could he find the words when he could barely look away from the screen?

"How many times do I have to say, research is our thing." The other tilted his head playfully. "So how did your family react when they learnt that you weren't attending classes any more?"

Toru saw it too; on the webpage, a logo followed by a foreign scholastic name served as the header for what seemed like a profile — one that belonged to Taka. A headshot of the young man from his early enrollment days accompanied by basic information such as his name and birth date were compiled into one column. The rest of the page served as a record for Taka's activity and progress in college, including his grades, the classes he took, his schedule, and his attendance record.

Several of the most recent days had been highlighted in red to indicate his absence in class.

It was clear now that this was a page from the college's official site, but the longer Taka stared, the more unfamiliar it seemed to him. He'd been on that site enough times to admit that he was sick of looking at it, but he had never come across this page before. Usually such information was classified and accessible only to educators. Unless...

"You hacked into the college's site!" Toru growled, shooting daggers at the smug man.

"I think the word you're looking for is _'a_ _ccessed'_ ," the latter corrected him. "Like I said, we have all these information thanks to our contacts and special associates — all we have to do is ask, and then we receive. There is no hacking involved, so I can assure you that what we are doing is completely legal.

"Oh, and if you were wondering..." He pulled a smirk. "Yes, I was responsible for that email being sent to your family. Well, not really — one of the associates we contacted noticed your failing attendance... but he wouldn't have if I hadn't asked him for your profile, no?"

"When and why did you feel the need to run a background check on him?" the blond sneered, while the other shrugged once more.

"Since we first heard about him, when you brought him to see the director. If he was going to work so closely with you, we need to make sure you're in safe hands... though I don't think anyone would fancy the idea of being assisted by a college dropout..."

Toru turned to the brunet, having noticed his lack of response. He hadn't said a single word since the explanation, and instead he seemed frozen in his spot, staring wildly at the screen that still shone before him. There was no telling what was racing through his mind or how he was feeling right now, but Toru could only imagine that they were along the lines of fear and humiliation.

"Come on, Taka, we're leaving," Toru announced. He knew he had to get him out of this place, lest Nakamura pulled another trick from up his sleeve. He grabbed the elder's hand and held it with a firm grip, but when he turned to the door, he was only met with resistance as he felt a strong and stubborn tug at his hand, holding him back.

He turned slowly, puzzled to find Taka still seated firmly in place. He didn't even bother to return the blond's gaze, almost as if he'd been completely hypnotized by the laptop before him. His arm had turned in his favor and now he was the one with the iron grip on the other's hand. No matter how hard Toru tried to pull him up, he wouldn't budge. For someone this tiny, he sure had the strength and the thick head of a wild ox.

"Taka... what the hell?" Toru muttered, being unable to fathom what the other was thinking. "Why aren't you moving...?" Was it because of fear? Or was he outraged?

The brunet continued to pay him no mind, and instead shifted his full attention to Nakamura, still seated behind his laptop. "...Does this mean you can see a list of every single employee registered in this building?"

Nakamura chuckled. "Former and current employees." Turning the monitor back to himself, he added, "Are you looking for someone in particular?"

Taka nodded. "...Someone named Mayu."

"Taka, what are you trying to do!?" Toru urged, once more making an attempt to pull him away, but the elder stayed put.

Neither boss nor assistant failed to notice the man furrow his eyebrows upon hearing the name. "I don't recall seeing that name anywhere our lists... but let me just make sure." He typed the name and searched for a match, but shook his head in defeat when he found none. "...There is no one in our database under that name. Are you sure you got their name right?"

Taka nodded again, confident, but quickly added, "...It's fine. I knew there would be no results for that name."

"Taka, answer me. Why are you asking for this name?" Toru's voice sounded demanding and desperate now, but once again, he received no acknowledgement.

Nakamura frowned in confusion. "What about their family name?"

Taka shook his head this time. "...They didn't say."

Nakamura took a deep breath, his expression unreadable, and he simply laid back. "Well, there is nothing else I can do for you. It is either you'd misheard them, or this person really does not exi—"

"Nakabayashi."

Taka and Nakamura looked up at the blond, blinking at the latter's stoic front. Beyond that mask, though, they knew Toru was the only one who could have said that. But neither of them expected him to — there was no one registered under that name affiliated with this company, and it wasn't like Toru actually bothered to befriend or even memorize the names of every single individual in this building. Toru was the last person anyone would expect to acknowledge an unpopular employee.

"Y-you know her...?" Taka gulped, tasting a mix of fear but also excitement at the back of his throat.

Toru turned to Nakamura. "Run a search on my previous assistant," he said with a subtle hint of superiority in his tone. "You need not go in detail. Just her basic information will do."

The elder man was confused, but obliged anyway, typing Mei's name into the database. They came to an overview of her profile, and he turned the laptop once again to have them face the screen. "...Nakabayashi is also Mei's family name...?" he questioned softly, though more so to himself.

Taka widened his eyes at this revelation. First he thought that lady Mayu had been just a mere employee, then for a while he believed she didn't exist, and had really been a figment of his imagination all along, but now it seemed that not only was she a real person... but she was related to Mei as well!

And Toru knew Mei better than anyone else, so it was no surprise that he would know who Mayu was, too, especially if she was related to his former assistant... Everything seemed to click in place even though none of this was making any sense; there was  _no way_ this could be brushed off as a simple coincidence!

Toru leaned forward now, bringing himself closer to the laptop. Without a word or any sign of hesitation, he swiftly scrolled down the profile and clicked on a few links - he did it too quickly for Taka to even keep track - and stopped when he finally came to a page filled with multiple tables and blocks of text.

Taka squinted his eyes again, and it took only a second for him to realize that this was a list of Mei's immediate family. Their names, birth dates, occupation, household, monthly income — everything about them was recorded on that list, consisting of both her parents, her elder sister Mio, Mei herself, and finally her younger sister Mayu—

_Wait_...

"Th-that's her!" Taka shrieked, pointing at the name on the screen. Even though all they had was a bunch of words piled together with no visible representation of their identities, Taka was more than positive that that had been the girl he'd seen earlier that morning.

"Where did you learn of Mayu-san?" Toru inquired, looking down at the brunet with an expression no longer stern and disapproving, but instead solemn and lost.

"I saw her."

The blond's eyes widened slightly; that was one response he wasn't expecting. "You saw her?"

"Yeah... I think." The elder's voice cracked a bit, allowing tones of uncertainty to seep through. "...Or maybe not." He shook his head. "It was just someone I saw this morning, in Mei-san's office... Supposedly she's an employee here, and she said her name was Mayu, but I'm not even sure if it is the same girl..."

Nakamura shifted his gaze to the blond from the corner of his eye. "...Have you ever considered giving him a drug test?"

With silence slowly crawling in, Toru only gave the coworker one last disapproving look, before announcing once more, "We're leaving."

*********

Walking briskly to exit the building, Taka couldn't help but wonder aloud, "...Is there any reason why Nakamura-san would have something against you?"

Toru shook his head. He was still fuming with a bit of rage, though thankfully his demeanor showed anything but. "I don't know, but I don't want you going anywhere near him ever again." Then, he turned to catch a glimpse of the other's countenance. "How are you feeling?"

Taka lowered his gaze and gave a small, albeit concerned smile. "Fine, just a little... shaken." But immediately brushing his feelings aside, he looked up and widened his grin. "You don't need to worry about me, y'know. I'm just here in Mei-san's place after all, so all that hacking stuff won't affect me as much as it'll affect you." Toru arched a brow, but allowed him to continue.

"You're in a tighter spot, though... You hold a very important position in this company. You could lose everything here if that guy did anything to ruin your reputation..."

"So be it," Toru snapped. "I can lose my position or I can lose my job, but I can't afford to lose you."

Taka's heart skipped a beat, and then quaked rapidly when he realized he was nearly choking on his own spit. His boss didn't seem to notice, simply continuing to walk on and leaving the elder behind. Rubbing the sore pain that lingered in his throat, Taka's eyes followed him down the hallway, himself refusing to pay the heat on his face any mind. _What the hell did Toru mean by that!?_

As the tall figure turned the corner and walked out of sight, Taka couldn't help frowning to himself. _Perhaps he misinterpreted those words and got the wrong idea..._

*********

Later that evening, Ayano's and Toru's voice were bouncing off the walls in every direction; they were having a discussion about Nakamura and his department, but somewhere along the way, that discussion had escalated into what seemed like a typical lover's quarrel — except instead of infidelity, the focus was on the company. It was not just their voices, but even the sight of them constantly bickering and getting at each other was beginning to get on the poor assistant's nerves.

On a brighter note, they were too occupied with each other to keep an eye on him, so Taka decided to take this rare opportunity to creep upstairs. He took a peek into Toru's bedroom down the hall, contemplating for a second, but he seemed to change his mind when he made a turn towards his room — or, Ayano's room, for the time being.

It was only a matter of time before Ayano expended all her energy in that argument and decided to turn in, so he had to make this quick... Closing the door behind him, he settled himself down on the very edge of the bed, looking down at his own two hands — holding his phone in one, and the tiny piece of paper he'd found in the other.

He dialed the number on his phone but progressed no further, simply staring at the screen while he took several deep breaths. In this complete silence, the loudest thing his ears could pick up was the sound of his heart pounding against his chest, his fear and anxiety growing after every second. Even his own mind was against him, making it feel like it was beginning to hurt — that, or Taka was slowly being led down the path to a panic attack.

_It was either now, or never..._ He had to remind himself that he would be doing this not just for himself, but for Toru, for Mei, and for the entire company, too. Everyone needed closure just as much as he did.

Especially since he knew now that he was directly involved in this financial strife...

With one final deep breath, he mustered up enough courage to press Call and brought the phone to his ear, fearing what to expect from the other line.

He didn't have to wait long; the call was answered after just a couple of rings, and he was soon greeted by a firm, deep voice from the other line.

"Mei-san?"

Hearing the voice only confirmed the young man's suspicions, and he froze, not knowing what to say, or if he should even reply at all.

"I'm not supposed to receive calls on this line for the time being, y'know. It's supposed to be private."

Taka gulped, knowing full well he'd just dug his own grave. There was no way he could talk himself out of this complicated situation right now...

"This phone has caller ID with your number registered in it," the voice pressed, sending a chill up the brunet's spine. The sick feeling of anxiety in the pits of his stomach only intensified at his next words, however, "So, speak up, because...

"...I know it's you, Takahiro."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a long debate with myself, but I finally decided not to shift the focus of this chapter to Mayu. I realized it would change the main vibe of this story, to the point where I would have to include this in another genre, so I'd rather just leave that a mystery... like everything else in this story. C': Of course, if I receive lots of requests, I might consider writing a separate oneshot about the character... but she's not majorly important to the plot or anything, so for now I'll just put her aside.
> 
> Anyway, ta-da, I am back!!! This chapter is shorter than usual, please forgive me — to be honest even I have no idea how it ended up being so short, because it's just as long as most of the other chapters in my notebook. Hmm... On a side note though, I suppose it is safe now to say that this story is coming to an end soon... //cries in the corner  
> Originally, the character Nakamura was based on me... I gave him my family's name and almost gave him my first name too, since it is unisex, but then my conscience convinced me that it was a bad idea, so I just changed... the first name. I don't want my lovely readers to think of me as an overconfident old man, anyway. D: ((or maybe I am and I'm only just saying that to convince you guys that I'm a young adult who writes an entire story plot in her head while seated on the toilet)) — actually ignore that, I was just kidding about the young adult part.
> 
> Anyway, I don't think I have any more to say, so I shall end this note here.  
> Here is a reminder to check out my friends' Anna's and Alina's fanfic, Memories! It was written originally in German, but this link here will lead you to its English translation! Go read and leave kudos and bookmark it and comment :OOO :  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/6353479/chapters/14555134
> 
> My drawing commissions are also still open, and will probably remain open for an indefinite amount of time, so please help me out, even if it's just spreading the word! It is the pinned tweet on my profile, which also includes a Tumblr link for more details:  
> http://twitter.com/onepunchsans
> 
> ((I'm sorry for all these announcements taking up the notes lately and in the future; I really need as much help as I can get ahahahah I am sorry please forgive me ;; A ;; ))
> 
> Thank you so much to those who read and left kudos and commented and AAAHHHH!!! Nothing beats the feeling of being on cloud nine when you check your email after a long tiring day of work only to see alerts from AO3. C': I love every one of my readers. Thank you, and until next time! <3


	11. Breathing Lessons

"...I know it's you, Takahiro."

The young man in question couldn't believe his ears. He struggled to speak, a strained croak leaving his lips instead as an outcry of every emotion coursing through his veins combined.

"Before anything, I just want you to tell me... How did you get a hold of this number?"

But those words were quickly dismissed with Taka asking questions of his own. "Why...? Why are you doing this?"

"Please, just let me—"

"How could you, dad!? Do you even have any idea  _what_ you're doing!?" he berated. "You're taking money from the company! You're taking money from  _my_ boss' company! And because of you, they're facing serious losses, and he's being framed for it!"

"Calm down, I can explain—"

"What's there to explain!?" Taka continued, throwing the old man's own words at him. "This is a crime, dad! Taking money without their—"

"We needed the money!" Finally the voice on the other line had lost it and yelled at him. The sudden yelling left Taka startled, halting him in the middle of his rant. As the senior tried to explain with a new firm tone in his voice, the younger could only stare at the plain white wall before him, speechless.

"Our family hasn't always been doing well, and you know that! We needed the money... That's why, we found someone who—"

" _'We'_...?" he breathed, and it seemed as if his father had come to an abrupt pause, pondering over something.

"...Let's meet somewhere, son," he resigned. "We would rather explain everything to you in person. I'll text you."

And with that, the call ended without Taka being given another opportunity to speak. The deafening tone of the phone playing endlessly into his ear, Taka slowly lowered his hand, resting the device on his lap. He was still in a state of shock when he felt a buzz shortly after — it was a text from that number with a location, supposedly to where he had agreed to meet his dad.

He jumped slightly in surprise when he turned and found two individuals standing by the doorway. They'd been watching through the tiny gap with wide eyes, which meant...

"We... we heard you yelling," Ayano tried to explain, smiling apologetically. "So we came up here to see what was going on— Toru, wait!"

Unable to put his impatience behind him, Toru had already ran forward and lunged at Taka, his weight pinning and crashing the latter back onto the bed. His strong hands locking the smaller's in place, he made no effort to hold back his anger.

"What the hell is going on!?" he bellowed. "Why are you taking money from us? What do you have against me and my company!?"

"Calm down, Toru! Even the lil' guy had no idea, so just get off of him!" Ayano stepped in and managed to pry the blond away, but she did so with struggle as the blond began flailing aimlessly at Taka, making futile attempts to hit him.

Once he was free, Taka immediately sat up and crawled away, until his back was flat against the wall by the bed. He wasn't aware of it, but he had cowered in fear — to think that Toru was pissed enough to actually hurt him... It only added more trauma to his shock that hadn't gotten the chance to subside yet.

His fleeting gaze jumping from Toru's to Ayano's, he finally settled on the bed sheets instead, still a little shaken. "Y-yeah... I just found out about it..."

Ayano sat on the edge of the bed and questioned him gently, "How?"

"The other day, when I was told to sort Mei-san's office..." He revealed the tiny piece of paper he had retrieved with the phone number and the address written on each side. "I found this..."

He flinched subtly when Toru reached forward and snatched the paper from him, examining it for himself. "This is..."

Taka nodded meekly. "That's my address," he said. "The number... I had no idea it belonged to my old man. I didn't know he even had another phone." Digging into his pockets once more, he fished out a handful of crushed pieces of paper, letting them fall lamely onto the cold floor below. "It came with a whole bunch of receipts, too."

The other two exchanged looks before picking them up and looking over them. "Are all these... from Mei's personal bank accounts?" Toru wondered aloud.

Ayano only frowned. "What does she need so many for?"

Taka didn't have to wait for a cue to begin explaining what he'd learnt; he pointed out the inconsistent sums, the banks, and how each account seem to have their own fixed amount to transfer every month — and they were able to track her activity down to eight months ago, when the very first transfer was made.

Toru looked up from the receipts now, dazed. "But... why is she taking money from my company only  _now,_ of all times... What happened eight months ago?" He turned to the brunet. "Did you guys really needed all that money?"

Still unwilling to meet his gaze, Taka merely lowered his head. "Not that I know of... but my dad said to meet him somewhere, so he can explain everything."

"I'll go with you." Ayano and Taka looked up at him in surprise, but he continued, "This is my company, after all, and my family business. I think I deserve to learn the truth and know what our money is being used for."

Taka agreed; this was his company... so neither him nor his dad had the right to deny him the truth. "I still can't believe it..."

"We can't say anything until we hear what they have to say first...," Ayano assured him, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly.

*********

The two young men sat awkwardly in the middle of the stairs, staring at nothing but blank walls and chipped paint. The text message had specific instructions for them to meet in the shopping mall... particularly at one of the exits of the fire escape route. The space was stuffy, the air stagnant, and the silence was so thick, it was almost deafening. In contrast to the rest of the mall outside, filled with patrons and youths who were not much younger than them. Taka had his eyes fixed a single ant wandering by his feet, blankly sipping on the soft drink they'd picked up from a fast food outlet on their way here.

Seated by his side was Toru, his chin resting in his palm, grinding his teeth in frustration. He had the strongest urge to light a cigarette and take a puff right then and there, but he knew that was a bad idea. And how ironic it would have been, too. So instead he stared at nothing, listening to the noise coming from the other side of the walls. He could hear families bustle by; children were crying after being denied something they wanted, their mothers mumbling incoherently to themselves as they rushed from one store to another. Youths walked in large groups, squealing about current trends or spouting profanities at one another for the fun of it. At one point he heard footsteps zipping past the door, running as if that person's life depended on it — and it did, because it wasn't long before another set of footsteps followed, the individual yelling, " _I'll get you for this, Ryota!!!_ "

Poor dude... whoever that Ryota guy was. His perpetrator sounded mad enough to want to jump him. He unbuttoned his collar, feeling anxious for the guy — so much so that he was sweating. With the back of his hand, he wiped the moisture from under his chin.

Taka didn't fail to notice that, of course. How could he? He'd been worried for the blond ever since he saw him leave his premises all bundled up and clad in tight-fitting jeans, a leather jacket, and even a scarf. Even if he would've fit in with the public, the weather would have been adamant in giving him a heatstroke.

"I told you to dress light," Taka half teased, half scolded the blond, a playful smirk tugging at his lips as if he knew this would happen.

"Shut up. This is the most casual thing I could find in my wardrobe," Toru snapped. Though those words came quick and harsh, they were not as hostile as they'd sounded. Taka's smile broadened, the response having boosted his confidence. It meant that his boss was no longer mad at him.

"To begin with, why did your old man choose to meet _here_ , of all places?" Now it just seemed like Toru was whining.

Taka shrugged, but before he could say any more, a voice from behind startled them.

"Son."

The two young men turned. Despite already recognizing the voice, they were still surprised to find the familiar older man standing at the top of the stairs. Clad in a cozy maroon sweater, he was looking down at them, his eyes weary from exhaustion, and emotions, nonexistent.

Taka was a little shaken at the sight of his own father before him. The fire escape route was empty, and even the softest of sounds could echo across the floors, past the several flights of stairs. If anyone had tried to step in after them, the men would have heard them. It wouldn't take more than a footstep, or a simple shuffling of their feet. But the roots of Taka's anxiety began far before that, to the memory of their last family gathering...

Taka's father cautiously arched a brow at his son. "You brought him along?"

Toru's brows knitted because he knew full well that the old man was referring to him, while Taka wordlessly nodded. It didn't need to be explained; there could only be one reason why Toru had tagged along.

The old man nodded as well, understandably. "I see... So all the money I've been taking... was coming from this guy and his company all along?" His tone felt light, yet no one acknowledged the humor in his words.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly this time." Toru took a step forward, presenting himself with boldness and confidence. "I am Yamashita Toru. My father is the director of the Yamashita Management company. As I'd mentioned during our last meeting, your son is working for me as my personal assistant."

The man nodded again. "I see... Well, I'm sorry I've been taking money from your company without your knowledge or consent. Perhaps it is not a coincidence, but fate, that my son is working for you now.

"I came here to give an explanation, so an explanation I will give. I understand that what I've been doing is considered a crime, and that you're mad about it, but please bear with me until you've listened to every word I have to say.

"Now, about your company making the huge losses... Unfortunately, I myself had no knowledge about that until my son mentioned it over the phone last night. I'm very sorry." He gave a small bow, much to the younger men's surprise. "As far as I know, the money I was receiving was being transferred to me from a personal bank account... I don't recall it relating back to the company in any way."

Toru understood that that was the truth. Further examination of the receipts the night before made him learn that he didn't recognize any one of them. The money she received from the company as her salary was transferred to a completely separate account, from a separate bank. Yet when he contacted the banks on those receipts, they all confirmed that the accounts belonged to only one person - Mei. She was smart to separate business from personal, but he still couldn't fathom why she'd needed multiple accounts. He didn't know how to put it, but it all seemed like her intentions were... premeditated.

"Who are you receiving the money from?" Toru asked him the one question that scared even himself. He swallowed, because he already knew the answer, yet a part of him still yearned for that clarification.

The man couldn't hide his faint, nearly invisible smile. "From a well-mannered lady who calls herself Mei," he spoke fondly of her. "She was kind, and selfless - not what you'd expect from someone so young. In fact, I think she might be even younger than you guys."

It shouldn't come as a shock to them, but the young men still widened their eyes upon hearing those words. Toru nodded in confirmation. "That... Mei, she was my personal assistant before I met your son."

It was the man's turn to be surprised. "So why is my son taking her place right now?"

"She..." Toru seemed a little hesitant at first, but obliged nonetheless. "...We sent her off on an important business trip over a week ago."

The old man arched a brow. "She mentioned something like that. That was about a few days after the last time I received any funds from her."

_So these losses were not being made in real time_ , Toru pondered. They'd been taken from the company much earlier, and the losses were only being noticed now because it was time for the company to begin analyzing their cash flow, preparing to distribute the wages among the employees, and ultimately calculating their profits and losses for that half of the month. And in a couple of weeks or so, they were gonna do it again. At least it made sense up to that point.

Taka stepped forward this time. "You still haven't explained why we're taking all this money in the first place. What do we need it for?"

"Takahiro, you should know this by now," the man said. "No matter who we are or what we do, we are always going to need money in our lives. We need money for food, money for shelter, and we even need the money to sleep. In this vast and advanced world, we all need money to survive.

"That's why your mother and I always have to remind you and your brothers to be humble. Because even though we may not be as wealthy as this young man here," he nodded in Toru's direction, "We still have to remember that there are those who are not as fortunate as us.

"But that is also why we made the decision to send you to the States for your education. What can you achieve here? You would be stuck with just a mediocre office job, working more and earning less than you deserve. You're the eldest of our three sons. Your mother and I are not young any more, and we're not gonna get any younger. A job like that, a job like everyone else's, would not be enough to support a family like ours.

"So we thought, if only you had some sort of education overseas, you could perhaps land a high position in a respectable job, earn a good reputation in the workforce here in Japan. That's why we were so harsh on you, to ensure you secured a spot in one of the colleges there." He then let out a heavy sigh. "...But even that proved nearly impossible for us.

"Accommodation, tuition, transfer fees... And don't even get me started on the interest rates. It is not that we can't afford to pay for them, but..." He shrugged. "It would definitely eat into our life savings. We wouldn't have enough for basic expenses; sacrifices would have to be made.

"Mei was kind enough to sit with this old man and listen to his worries, and when I'd told her about this dilemma of ours, she even offered to pay off your fees for us. She said the money came from her monthly salary..."

Taka's response came delayed, his mind still trying to process that information. He muttered, "You mean... this whole time... the one who was paying for my school fees was Mei...?" He'd always thought the only reason he was given that opportunity was because his father had relations with some important people, because that was what he'd been told. Putting in a good name for his eldest son, maintaining camaraderie among them, ensuring they had everything fully covered without worrying about owing anyone anything.

But those ' _contacts_ '... Was it really referring to Mei all along? Plus the fact that the money wasn't directly coming from her, nothing about this explanation was making Taka feel enlightened, or the situation any better.

"Why...?" he breathed. "What were you so desperate for...? Why even send me there when you couldn't afford it to begin with? How... How are we gonna pay her back!?"

"She said it was fine," the father assured him. "I told her that once you found yourself a stable, high-paying job, you'd be able to—"

"That's fucking ridiculous! You can't just make promises so easily like that!" His disbelief turned into fury, and his fury masking itself as confidence, Taka was yelling now. His voice rang and bounced off the walls, echoes ascending along the floors above them. "Why didn't you tell me...? Why didn't you say anything about us being short on money!?"

"Why didn't _you_ tell _me_?" his old man snapped back. "Why didn't you tell me that you didn't want to go? We wouldn't have to resort to making that huge decision then, and all this wouldn't have happened!"

"You would have sent me off anyway even if I said so!"

"Because we need it, son! _You_ need it! Think of how so many people that barely knew you, are looking up to you right now!"

"You're missing the goddamn point—"

A curt but firm, throaty grunt was all it took to bring the screaming match to a halt. It gave both father and son the break they needed to become self aware, for to their surprise, they were almost literally at each other's throats, their faces spitting at each other. The tiny gap between their bodies was like an invisible road block constructed by their anger. Their echoes faded away into silence as the men calmed down, eyes lidded with looks of ridicule and shame. Their gazes stirred away from Toru's, who had stepped in between them, cutting the altercation short.

"I cannot let this get out of hand," he warned them, referring to their meeting. They were here to receive answers, not to fight over familial issues, their resolve long overdue. Toru turned to the old man first. "Mei was just a personal assistant. Her monthly wages cannot even be compared to mine. Just like you, she has her own family to support as well.

"But next to the director, I hold the highest position in the company. So if it's money you need, then take it from me instead. Be it for education, loans, or household expenses — whatever you need,  I'll provide it."

Taka's eyes widened significantly at the blond, baffled.

"In fact, even right now, I can pay off a whole year's worth first. So just give me the figure, and I'll handle the rest," Toru added, reaching into his jacket for his cheque book. But before his hand completely went out of sight, Taka managed to stop him, placing his own hand firmly on the blond's.

"Stop that!" he scolded. "I don't know if we can ever afford to pay you back!"

Toru arched a brow. "This is not a loan. I am being serious about giving you this money, so you'll have no need to worry about compensation—"

"Are you an idiot!?" Taka shrieked again. "We can't take all that money from you!"

_What was the difference?_ Toru thought, technically, they were already taking money from his company anyway.

"Besides, you're wrong; the issue here isn't about insufficient funds." Taka turned to his father, frowning angrily. "The issue here is that I was _forced_ into this transfer student thing, because that's all my dad ever thinks about!"

The man scoffed, "I'm doing what I know is best for you, best for all of us. Just think of how this opportunity can benefit us in the long run!"

Toru sighed, _here they go again._ Calmly, he corrected them, "The issue here is communication; one wants to go down the road of success, while the other just wants to go wherever the winds take him. That is why both your ideals are clashed."

"Then do something about it!" Taka begged, but Toru merely shook his head.

"I am in no position to do anything here. But you two are, and what you two can do is to talk and listen to  each other, for a start."

"Fine, then I'll go first," Taka began, turning back to his old man. "I don't want to study. I hate it; I hate it there, and I hate it here. I think we'll do just fine with a regular office job. I am not the only son; you have three of them, and all three will be working too! All our wages combined would be more than enough to keep our family standing, maybe even until I have my own grandchildren...!"

Toru shifted his attention to the old man now, observing his reaction thoroughly. The man only gave a slow, disappointed sigh. "Son... is that what you really want? To just go with the flow, to make do with whatever life throws at you, instead of taking risks and achieving more than you could ever dream of?

"I understand you're mad because I was receiving money from someone and kept that from you... but look, now you have the perfect opportunity presenting itself right in front of us." He nodded in Toru's direction. "This nice young man is actually willing to pay for your education, and pay off all our expenses — how can you not accept that?"

Taka rolled his eyes when the man rambled on. "When life gives you a miracle, you don't throw it away...  You take it with you and accept it, because it is a gift from the gods. And they bless you with this gift because you deserve it. It's wasteful and insulting for them when you throw their blessings away... Think about it; just how many people out there are as lucky as us?"

The philosophical rant was followed by a long and heavy silence, one so thick it almost made it hard to breathe. Taka's gaze was fixed on the ground, and his countenance bore a serious expression while he contemplated his response. He could feel the other men's gazes on him, the pressure building up, getting as heavy as lead.

"...One month."

Toru and the old man arched their brows in confusion, so Taka continued, "Give me one more month. I'll prepare my stuff and... I'll fly back to the States."

The man's eyes lit up. "Really...?" he gasped with a reasonable amount of doubt. "You... you're really doing it for me?"

"I'm not doing it for you," Taka corrected him. "I'm doing it for us." He turned his back to the man, but still addressed him when he spoke, "It was... nice to see you again, dad, but right now we have more important business to attend to. So if you'll excuse us." With a brief huff, the brunet began walking towards the exit, not wanting to stay or say another word.

To him, the discussion was over. And that meant it was over for the other men as well.

Toru jogged after him, but not before giving a curt nod to the man.

Beaming, the latter gave a deep bow in response, and watched as the two men quickly made their leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!  
> Wow, it's been over a year since I last updated. Yet between then and now, I keep receiving kudos, and comments to continue the story. Thank you all so much!  
> Don't get me wrong, it's not that I want to abandon this story; I had it all drafted out long before I even published this. But life has been so rough while I tried to make ends meet. For a very long time I was deeply upset and lost interest in everything, including the band.  
> But now things are starting to clear up for me, just a little bit. I'm working a full time job now, so I won't have a lot of time, but I hope I can regulate my schedule enough to be able to update once a month now! And more importantly, I've found my love for ONE OK ROCK again! I haven't felt this alive in a loooong time! Even though I know this feeling is temporary, I don't want to disappoint my friends and readers again; updating my stories and writing in general keeps me happy. C:
> 
> Also, more good news — I'm in the infant stage of drafting up yet another Toruka fanfic! I hope people will still stick around for that eventually, haha.
> 
> Anyway, sorry for any mistakes or inconsistencies; I've been pretty worn out from work and I was on the verge of falling asleep while writing this, so I probably overlooked a lot of things. But I hope this update has put a smile on some faces, just like how kudos and comments have put on mine!  
> Thanks for sticking with me, and reading this! <3


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